Alien Underlord
by FalconPain
Summary: A tale of the war between Dracula and humanity, and its effects on hell, told from the outsider perspective of immigrant demon and occasional boss Galamoth. Many aspects are noncanon. Rated M for bizarre sexual situations. Violence and language is rated T
1. Invasion

**_Author's note: I am experimenting with a different writing style for this story. Between the depiction of the writer, the narration, and the various flashbacks, there are three distinct tenses used in this story. Hopefully this won't make the story too unreadable. (Sticking to a central character throughout the entire story should help.)_**

**Prologue**

There exists a room without doors or windows, or any other openings that lead to the rest of the world.

The surfaces of the chamber appear to be carved from stone. The ceiling is covered in what appear to be stalactites. The floor is not, and looks as if it has specifically been cleared of mineral formations. Indeed, the only obstructions that can be found on the floor are a pair of books that had been left there carelessly.

A more astute observer may question why anyone can see anything if there are no openings and no light sources. Suffice to say, this is no ordinary room.

There is now a beast in the room.

He would be offended if someone called him a beast to his face. But after one look at him, it is difficult to call him anything but a creature. While his body resembles that of a man, albeit one who appears to have spent considerably more time building muscles than getting enough to eat, it is visibly more reptilian than mammalian.

Two two-toed feet, each possessing what looks like a third toe on the back of the ankle, stop in front of the books. Two scaly four-fingered hands act in tandem to remove the books from the floor. They are brought up to the same level as a pair of glowing blue eyes, which rest comfortably above a jawline that one would expect to find on a carnivorous dinosaur, and just below a series of horns that branch backward from the creature's head, save one that extends forward from the middle of his forehead like the defining mark of a unicorn.

Considering that he holds both books between a thumb and a single finger, one can also conclude that he is almost an order of magnitude taller than the individuals who penned the books.

His eyes, despite not having visible pupils, move back and forth between the two book covers. After a few seconds of thinking, he comes to a decision.

Sitting casually on the ground, he flattens a piece of paper, about the same size as a page from either piece of literature he had been previously eyeing, upon the stony ground. With a writing utensil that looks nearly invisible compared to the large claw that holds it, he begins his task.

The letters are surprisingly small, given the magnitude of the individual creating them, yet they remain fully legible.

_If you are reading these words, consider yourself fortunate. Perhaps I told you of this document's existence and instructed you to look for it. Perhaps you have a good eye for detail, and noticed that one of the books in our library stood out from the others. Or perhaps you merely stumbled upon it while doing research. In any case, I can safely conclude that you are the type of person that deserves to know my story, whether it is because you are trustworthy or clever or interested in learning._

_If you currently reside here, you probably know me. You call me Galamoth._

The creature turns his reptilian head to look back at the texts that he had discarded once again to the floor. If he is to stop, now is the time.

He turns back to the paper and resumes his writing, more carefully than before.

_However, given my decision to tell this story and my belief that the truth needs to be known, it is better for me to inform you that Galamoth is not, in fact, my real name._

****

Alien Underlord

**Chapter 1: Invasion**

_According to your calendar, my tale began in the middle of the 15th century._

The area looked much like traditional underdeveloped European countryside. Rolling hills of faded green grass spread out over the landscape. In the far distance, a stream carried fresh water in the vicinity of a cheery, old-fashioned village.

Up in the mountains, though, the grass was anything but growing. It had been well-flattened and burnt. To the side, a large metallic structure rested on the ground, clearly measuring hundreds of feet in each dimension. There were many signs of wear and tear on the metal, and the top of the structure was completely missing.

From the inside, the structure could not be described as anything but a complete anachronism compared to the world around it. Broken-down machinery and electronics, matching nothing that would be invented in the world over the next several centuries, lined the walls. Large shards of highly-resistant metal littered the floor of the structure, suggesting that they may have been part of the ceiling.

And near what appeared to be an entrance to the structure, the aforementioned reptilian creature sat on the cold floor. Judging by his tense body language, he must have been preoccupied about something.

The sound of a large explosion in the distance could be heard. The creature visibly shuddered at this.

_At that moment, I was completely alone._

_My army of automata was decimated. My sole method of escape was reduced to scrap, leaving me without shelter. The minions that I had claimed for my own had all abandoned me and returned to their master. It was only a matter of time before the mastermind of this attack would face me directly. In the end, my actions had achieved nothing of value._

_

* * *

_

My actions? My planet would call it conquest. I considered it a hostile takeover.

The reptile sets his pen down and pauses in thought.

His planet. He has not set foot on it in over five centuries. Is it still there? Is it still populated? Does his race still live there, or did they settle somewhere else, or did they die out? Do they know what happened to him? Do they care? Will they care, if he ever manages to meet one of them again?

More importantly, does anyone here care about them? Does he remember enough about his planet to describe it? What would he call it in this language?

He picks up another piece of paper and starts making notes.

_born - village in desert - no siblings - father died when young_

_growing up - manual laborer - helped village function_

_joined military - physical regiment - trained magical ability_

_expansionism - volunteered for scouting duty_

He looks at the notes and nods. They don't match his planet's ethos perfectly, but these ideas are close enough and are understood by the residents here.

Jotting a quick "work on later" in the corner, he places this page and the previous page of his story to the side and produces a new sheet of paper.

_My superiors decided that I would be one of the men sent out to scout for planets suitable for our race. And eventually, I found one: a reasonably lush planet in the Sol system._

_The trouble was that it was already inhabited. It was a good sign for the possibility of survival, but it meant that my actions would be decidedly cruel._

_In light of my mission and the fact that I wasn't accompanied by any other members of my race, I decided that I would attempt to take control of the planet, yet leave the inhabitants unharmed. This way I could survive, we could use the planet as a focal point for our expansion into this area of the galaxy, and the residents wouldn't have to be slaughtered until my superiors made the decision for me._

_The first step was to learn as much about the planet as possible. This involved a good deal of research on my part, as well as frequent scans. This took a while, but eventually I had determined my plan for seizing control of the planet, which was apparently called Earth by the inhabitants._

_I had learned through my reconnaissance that Earth possessed an odd dual population. Creatures of various types populated the surface, dominated by a bipedal race that bore some resemblance to my own. There was also a large number of more remarkable creatures that lived_

The reptile looks around the stony room in a confused manner.

He has been here for a long time. He has memorized most of the layout and can remember the rest on sight. And given recent events, he probably knows more about his dwelling than just about all of the other inhabitants.

Despite all this, he has yet to figure out exactly where he is.

Some inhabitants believe that it is deep within the core of the Earth. Others suspect it is in another dimension. And still others can't be asked without them going on some long diatribe about the nature of religion.

He shakes his head. It was odd enough that the scanning equipment was able to identify the presence of "hell" at all. Certainly, if it hadn't, things would have turned out very differently.

He finishes the sentence: _elsewhere._

_My plan was simple. Using our planet's technology, I could forcibly take control of the alternate population. With their abilities at my disposal, I could lead them to conquer the surface population and thus gain leadership by force._

_That was the plan, anyway. I had failed to consider a few things in the process.  
First, I hadn't expected to damage the ship beyond repair upon my entry to the atmosphere, complete with all hope of leaving or contacting my superiors. Even if I had won the battle at that time, expansion would not have continued, and I would have had to resign myself to merely controlling the planet. This was not a wholly unlikable proposition._

_Second, I hadn't considered that the populace of the planet was so remarkably small and weak in comparison to myself. It was rare to see a creature that stood anything close to one-third of my height. It didn't take me long to realize that I probably could have defeated the surface dwellers single-handedly._

_And most importantly, I had no idea that the alternate population already had a lord. Specifically, one that was immune to our technology and who proved to be more than a match for my new army._

* * *

_And one that was quickly approaching._

The reptile could not hear footsteps, but he could sense the new individual by the sheer power of his magical aura. He needed a strategy, and fast.

He looked again at the remains of his ship. No matter how good he considered himself at metalcraft, there was no chance of getting the ship working again. Leaving the planet was not an option.

He looked over the side into the distance. He could run. Despite the differing gravitational force on the planet and his ponderous size in comparison to the rest of the fauna, he always considered himself a good runner in the past. But where would he go? He was certainly not capable of hiding in this environment.

He could stay and fight. His sword leaned against one of the remaining walls, and it had survived the crash with very little damage. If he could dispatch the interloper himself, he could...

...what could he do? He no longer had an army of any sort. He no longer had the resources necessary for another bid for domination. He could terrorize the surface dwellers, but what good would that do him now? Especially with another population out for his blood? The only reason to defeat this opponent would be to deliver justice.

Ha. Justice. He wouldn't delude himself. He was an invader. He instigated this war. Justice was on his opponent's side.

Very well, he thought, picking up the sword and testing its larger-than-usual weight in his hands. He would face his opponent, and he would fight, and he would lose. He had nothing else to live for. And, in the wake of his demise, justice would be served.

The door opened.

_As he arrived, I turned my attention to him, only to be dumbfounded by the person before me._

_I was expecting a representative member of the non-surface population. One who was more imposing than the others, and who showed plenty of experience in his physical features. At the very least, I expected someone who, standing at his full height, would come halfway to my knee._

The warrior resembled one of the surface dwellers. Specifically, one of their underdeveloped young. Distinguishing characteristics included the bright white hair that topped his head, the oversized cloth that covered his body, the powerful magical aura that had given the reptile such cause for worry, and the fact that he was levitating in midair. An impressive trick, to say the least.

"What thing are you to stop my plan?" the lizard growled at the youth in a language common to the surface dwellers.

The youth grinned, revealing his fangs. "I'm Dracula! I'll kill you to save my friends!"

Dracula, the reptile considered. The surface dwellers had legends of him. They called him a vampire. If he was anything like the other stories, he would possess dark powers, a taste for blood, and a large amount of charisma. Looking at the boy, he could see evidence of all three traits.

He raised his sword at Dracula. "Then let we battle", he roared.

* * *

The writer visibly winces as he rereads the dialogue.

He can revise it. Embellish it. No one else was there. No one will know the difference.

He sighs. The truth is more important than his reputation. He came to that conclusion when he decided to tell his story. He shouldn't change his mind now.

He was not from this planet. His opponent was young. Under the circumstances, it makes sense that they would be so inept with the language.

Picking up the pen again, he tries to remember what happened next. He remembers the onslaught of fireballs, and then...

* * *

"Why have you come here?"

These words sounded in the reptile's head as he slowly regained consciousness. The voice was considerably deeper than that of the youth he had just battled.

He had battled the youth. And he had lost. He didn't even have to throw the fight; Dracula outmatched him in every aspect. He pondered, not for the first time, if he had inadvertently started a war that he could not have possibly won at all.

His attempt at English faltered. "My try was to..."

"Fool. Do not interrupt. I will address you in a moment."

Confused by this response, the creature struggled to open his eyes. As his vision slowly came into focus, he noticed that he was sprawled across the ground, bleeding openly from his chest and limbs. He tried to get up. He failed.

Turning his head to the side, he noticed that the remnants of his vessel had been reduced to mere ash. Those fireballs had been even more powerful than he had suspected if they could vaporize metal so easily.

In the distance, three figures were speaking to each other, ignoring him for the moment. They were far enough away that he could not make an effort to strike at them directly. Not that it would make any difference, he considered.

The first was the youth he had just battled. He was no longer wearing his oversized garment, leaving him clothed in a more traditional outfit of the surface dwellers. His usual cheerful expression was gone, replaced by that of unhappiness and disappointment.

The second one wore a similar expression as he stared at the youth. He was fully mature, but retained most of the physical characteristics of the youth. He was now wearing the garment, which covered his form from his shoulders to his legs. Indeed, the garment must have been fitted for him. He appeared to be twice the height of the youth.

The third was impossible to identify, as he wore a dark and thick fabric over his entire body and was facing in a direction away from the reptile. From the evidence, he could only determine that the top of his head was level with that of the second person, he was also levitating, and that, if his species had legs, they were not visible at this time.

The youth spoke. "The... the bad man was hurting everyone... I had to stop him."

The taller one shook his head. "You stole from my wardrobe and left the castle without my permission", he replied. "Any of the humans could have seen you."

"I... I'm sorry..."

Based on his loose knowledge of their mannerisms, the reptile decided that the elder one must have been a guardian of the younger. Based on their characteristics, he very well could have been a parent.

The shrouded one interrupted in a bizarre, distorted voice. "If I may say so, Lord Dracula, Adrian has done very well for himself."

"I did not ask for your opinion, but you may have a point nonetheless. We will discuss this later. Escort him back to the castle, then return. For the moment, I must deal with this creature."

Said creature's mind boggled at the revelation. The adult was Dracula? The youth was only his child? If the child had defeated him so easily, what was Dracula himself capable of doing?

He didn't have long to wonder, as Dracula's attention was now turned fully to him. The lizard tried to scramble to his feet, but it was for naught. He was still too wounded to rise.

"Foolish beast. Do you have any idea with whom you are dealing?"

The beast swallowed audibly. While he had very little experience at speaking the language, he had read more than enough to understand what the vampire was saying. "I do not know. I thought he was..."

"Do not feign ignorance. If you were able to commandeer my minions, you certainly should have known my identity. Who are you?"

The reptile tried to work out how much Dracula knew. He did not know what he was. He did not realize why he was here. Being from such an undeveloped world, he wouldn't have any exposure to devices like the one he had used to influence the subconscious section of the inhabitants' minds in a manner that caused them to do his bidding. In fact, the similarities between the two populations' biologies was the very reason why he had chosen that method to...

"You will respond when I address you."

_/ You do not understand /_, the creature grumbled to himself in his native tongue.

"'Garamos'? I have never heard that name."

His eyes widened as he understood the implications. Dracula didn't understand at all, did he? All evidence of his ship and his technology was gone. There was no reason why Dracula would believe that he was from another world. He had even misinterpreted the off-hand comment as a given name, poorly pronounced as it was. Any attempt at the truth would be quickly dismissed. The best option, then, was to play along.

"I am not very known."

"You certainly are bold. Not very wise, though. It is a shame, as you would not have made for an inadequate underling." He started charging a ball of some kind of energy in his palm.

The reptile blinked. He certainly was not expecting a compliment from someone who could crush him so easily. "Why do you say?" he asked in what he hoped was a non-aggressive tone.

"You genuinely do not notice? Physically, you put most of my strongest warriors to shame. Your magical aura compares favorably to our most trained witches. Your scheme, even in failure, proved that you are not devoid of intelligence. You were willing to duel my son, which suggests that you are not only knowledgeable of your strengths, but willing to rely on them rather than resorting to less honorable methods."

The reptile could do nothing but ponder what Dracula was saying. While he had undergone training on his planet, he was not much more than an average male specimen there. Here, among those who were naturally inferior, how could he _not _be seen as remarkable?

"I offer you one chance", Dracula finished. "Serve me. Refuse and you shall perish where you lie."

This vampire and his son had proven themselves superior to the alien, but this apparently did nothing to tarnish their opinion of his abilities. Was he truly willing to let the newcomer work for him? Had fortune deigned him unfit to rule, but fit to serve for the rest of his life? And did he have any other option, now that he had no method of returning home?

Ignoring his offer would have accomplished nothing. There was no doubt that he could deliver on his threat. "I will serve you."

As the reptile spoke, the floating shrouded figure returned to Dracula's side. He was now carrying a long staff with a sharp curved blade on one end.

Dracula nodded slowly. "Then make a vow here and now. You will remain loyal to me. You will never again take control of my army."

An easy promise to make. He still didn't realize that the alien could no longer do so. Still, as his language skills were weak, he opted to reuse the phrasing. "I will remain loyal to you. I will never again take control of your army."

"Even so, you must be punished for your actions. You will not be permitted to directly serve me." Dracula turned to the shrouded figure. "I place him under your jurisdiction."

The cloaked one lifted his head to reveal a skull underneath his cowl, one that matched the physiology of many members of the surface population. Before the alien could react, he slashed him across the chest with his weapon.

For the new recruit, everything went black.


	2. The First Day

**Chapter 2: The First Day**

_When I regained consciousness, I was lying on the ground in a darkened room._

The reptile takes a moment to look up from his writing and gaze at the room that currently surrounds him. It is as stony as ever.

After staying in a place like this for centuries, one tends to become accustomed to the accommodations. Thus, it becomes difficult to imagine how one would have reacted to being exposed to such a place for the first time.

As he focuses his attention on the room around him, he is able to recall the details again. The air carries the general scent of sulfur, and despite the stalactites that would normally suggest the presence of moisture, it feels rather dry to the body. The stones, while seemingly ordinary, exude a great deal of heat. A small amount of light as well, he suspects. He can't recall ever seeing his own shadow in his entire time here.

He is well aware that many would consider these conditions irritating. Hellish, even. He doesn't know if he has ever had that problem. It remains more comfortable than the conditions of the desert, after all.

His problem has always been the ceilings.

* * *

The lizard slowly sat up, assessing the situation around himself. He was no longer in pain and no longer bled. That was worth noting. Either he had been unconscious for a long time or his opponents were trained in medicine.

He was surrounded on all sides. A large variety of creatures of various types, colors and heights were mingling with each other within the expansive room. None of them seemed to come up to higher than his eye level when he was in a sitting position. Despite the lack of similarity between most of the inhabitants, he kept feeling like he stood out more than the others. Many of the ones nearest his position were paying very close attention to him.

An individual who witnessed these creatures for the first time might have been terrified. There were creatures of flesh, of stone, of bone, and of most imaginable substances found on this planet. Many were hideous, some resembled a mixture of varying surface species, and a number could have passed for the surface dwellers easily. Most looked capable of posing a threat.

But he failed to be taken aback now. He had his opportunity earlier. These were the same creatures he had been ordering around only a short time ago, weren't they?

"Your name."

This was odd, the reptile considered. Everyone who was staring at him acted like they had never seen him before in their life. He hadn't missed any of them when he employed the control device, had he? Was this one of the device's natural effects? Perhaps he should have asked his superiors about the long-term effects of the device when he had...

"I said, tell me your name."

Someone was speaking to him. He gazed around the floor until he found what appeared to be a horned goat that stood on two hooves. It was holding a document in one hand and was gesturing at him with a writing implement in the other hand. Its expression was that of casual annoyance.

If nothing else, he thought, go for consistency. _/ You do not understand /_, he once again pronounced in his own race's language.

The goat paused for a moment in confusion. "Galamoth?" it ventured.

The reptile looked at him impassively, then repeated his foreign comment. The goat nodded in response and wrote something down.

* * *

Galamoth, the reptile thinks to himself as he looks at what he has written. He has never seen that word in writing before today, has he? His language has more intricacies of the tongue than that spelling implies, but it was not a bad approximation at the time. Better than whatever Dracula spat out earlier.

But it was because of Dracula's error that he kept using it, wasn't it? And now, he considers, he can't imagine anyone calling him anything else.

That's odd, he realizes. He has just started writing his autobiography today, and he hadn't even filled a page before he pointed out that Galamoth wasn't his name.

He shakes his head. He can't even believe it when he's the one who wrote it in the first place. Everyone calls him Galamoth. He calls himself Galamoth. He has never used his real name since he arrived here. Not even with her.

It's just as well. He'd hate to see how these demons would have attempted to spell it.

* * *

"You are not in our records."

Galamoth froze. Dracula had said something like that earlier. Do these creatures happen to know every name that has ever existed? Would they know him under another name? Should he have corrected Dracula when he had the chance?

"Well? Explain yourself."

Galamoth raised his hand to the ceiling. "Dracula sends me."

The goat shook its head. "Lord Thanatos brought you here. Now answer!"

Galamoth grumbled to himself. This was not going well. He had never been told what to do in this situation. If this continued, he would have to tell someone what he actually was. And then they'd forcibly remove his head and various inner organs and place them somewhere as a visual reminder of what happens when you attempt to overthrow a leader.

The goat still expected a response. Okay, he thought. Start small. "I am new. I do not know my reason here."

The other individual rolled its eyes. "Great. Another imbecile. Let me put it another way. What do you do?"

Galamoth did not know the meaning of that word, but it sounded like an insult. "I am here for my fight with the son of..."

"That's not what I asked", the goat said in an exasperated tone. "We have a section for people who are known for what they did before, and let me tell you, you don't want to be in there. Try again. What do you _do_?"

Realization dawned on Galamoth. The question was easier than he had expected. In a loud voice, he responded. "I train in the battle. I use magic very well, and I am much more large and strong than all you."

* * *

Despite his elongated snout, Galamoth has no trouble holding his head in his hand and muttering. Why did he ever think it was a good idea to write this part of the story? Surely no one would have noticed if he had started his story at a point when he didn't sound like a complete moron whenever he opened his mouth...

He picks up the pen again and proceeds to make himself look worse.

_The goat merely nodded at me and started writing something down on his document. I didn't get a chance to take a look at the sheet before he glared at me and filed it away. Then he straightened himself up and said about the last thing I expected him to say at the time._

_"Well then, Galamoth, you are now officially a demon. Welcome to our little corner of hell. For your sake, I hope you manage to fit in. Move along."_

_I missed his joke entirely at the time. It didn't matter. I learned what he meant less than ten seconds later as I stood up to walk away. In the process of looking around at the "demons", to use the goat's term, I had failed to notice that I was several feet taller than the ceiling level. The demons laughed. I couldn't blame them, but I gave them a threatening glare nonetheless._

Galamoth sighs again. But this time, the sigh does not come from the embarrassment of making a bad first impression. Instead, it stems from the discomfort of many hundreds of years of having to walk with a slouched posture.

_As I stormed away, holding my head in pain, I took comfort in two facts. First, the demons were making an effort to clear out of my way. It was likely that this was less about respect than it was about making sure they didn't get trampled underfoot, but I appreciated not having to worry about such things._

_And second, they didn't realize just how good my hearing really is. I could parse their whispered asides easily._

_"Is he a dinosaur?"_

_"I don't know. He doesn't have a tail."_

_"Is that all you need to be to get in now?"_

_"I guess being extinct is enough. They let those dodos in."_

_"He's about as smart as one!"_

_"I wouldn't joke about him. He looks like he could crush you easily."_

_"At least he has one thing going for him."_

Galamoth shakes his head. _On second thought, this was not very comforting at all. I really wished I could have spoken their language as well as I could understand it._

* * *

Having seen nothing to indicate that he was expected to do anything, Galamoth started to gravitate toward some of the other demons in the room. Other demons? He thought about that briefly. He was to be considered one of them now, wasn't he? That was what Dracula had in mind, anyway. It could be considered an insult to his talents, or perhaps faith in his pledge.

His initial target was a group of metallic-looking demons that were slightly taller than his waist. They seemed comfortable enough; they were the closest to his height and they reminded him of the automata that had accompanied him on his journey to the planet.

He stopped in front of a pair of them and waited for either one to acknowledge his presence. Neither reacted. He stared at them uncomfortably for a few moments before he started to wonder if they were even living creatures.

"Hey, you. You don't want to hang out with the golems."

He looked around at the ground, trying to find the demon that had addressed him. The demons had yet to recongregate in the wake of the path that he had traveled.

"Idiot. Turn your head to the right."

He followed the voice's instructions to find a remarkably small red demon perched on top of his right shoulder. At its height, he was probably capable of holding it tightly between two fingers. After its greeting, the idea had some appeal.

It smiled at him. "Hey there. I see you're new here. Want me to show you around?"

Any anger on Galamoth's face disappeared quickly. "I will like that", he responded. "Why do you offer?"

"Well, it's a lot better than you stumbling aimlessly all over the place."

He chose to ignore that comment. "Who are you?"

"Meh, they don't give me a name. They call me an imp. Only the one-of-a-kind demons get an actual name, I guess. You got lucky there... Galamoth?"

Galamoth nodded in affirmation.

"Hey, don't do that. Just talk. It's hard enough staying perched here. You're too large to get a decent grip, you know?"

Galamoth frowned. It was easy for the imp to tell him to talk more. It spoke the language fluently, if casually.

He decided to raise the question. "Why is there no demon tall as me?"

"There are, but they usually hang out on the other side. This side's the ones Death keeps for Dracula. They have some standards."

This imp was proving more informative than Galamoth expected. "They do not like tall demons?"

"Dracula lives out in his castle, and it's not all that great for someone of your height, you know? They'd rather have demons that fit, I guess. I'm surprised they let you in here. You musta done something to catch their attention."

"I guess", Galamoth said dismissively. "What do we do?"

"Not a whole lot, at least till someone tells us to do stuff. Some guys have jobs here. There's an arena for fighting, but I don't think they'll let you in without something to wager. Some just chat all the time. Guys like me, we head up to the surface."

Galamoth's head perked up in response. "You can leave?"

The imp grinned. "Yeah. I'm one of those guys who like to torment folks. But the demons aren't all that great for that. See, you need to bother the humans for the most fun."

"Humans?"

"The guys up top. I thought you'd know them better than you know us."

Galamoth took note of this. He had studied many aspects of the surface population earlier. Now he had a name to associate with the group, as well as evidence that the two populations were connected in more ways than had first seemed apparent.

Galamoth's eyes lit up more than usual. "Show me the way."

"No problem. Just head forward a few steps, turn left, and try not to step on anyone along the way."

Galamoth grumbled as quietly as he could manage. He was getting tired of being considered clumsy. Certainly, he had never stepped on any of these demons when he was ordering them to war.

Still, he had to smile once he noticed the passages for the first time. While the main room was more than large enough to hold the full compliment of available demons, there were a number of hallways that branched from the main room. Each led to a different area of the underworld. This way, the imp explained, material goods could be stored, meetings could be organized and demons could occasionally seek privacy from the others.

After passing through one such passage, which was thankfully not narrow enough to pose any problem for Galamoth, the pair came to what appeared to be an empty room with two golems standing in the center. A quick check revealed nothing of note in the room.

The imp looked around. "Hey, what's the deal, guys? Where's the portal?"

One of the golems responded in a slow and ponderous voice. "Strict orders. He is not permitted to leave."

"What?"

"This is the decision of Dracula and Thanatos. Unless they specifically issue orders to allow him to do so, he is forbidden from leaving hell at any time."

Galamoth had no trouble coming up with a list of good reasons for this to be the case. He would be entirely too noticeable on the surface. He was too unfamiliar with the area to be trusted there. He would be considered a risk, as he had attempted to attack the planet less than a day before. They wanted him in peak condition when they called for him. They wanted to punish him for hurting them and the other demons. With all that in mind, he decided that it wasn't worth protesting the issue.

"Well, that bites", the imp snarled. "Now what am I gonna do today?"

In one quick motion, Galamoth plucked it off his shoulder and held it in front of his face. "You go to the surface. I stay here."

The imp frowned. "Yeah, but what are you gonna do?"

"I gonna do nothing. They want this."

"But that's not... eh, suit yourself."

Galamoth nodded. "You can find me later. I am not hard to find."

The imp grinned. "I see you have a sense of humor after all. See ya then."

If he wasn't so concerned with the ramifications of this new knowledge, Galamoth might have acknowledged the compliment. Instead, he simply returned to the main room, pausing only to turn and glare at the golems one last time on the way out.

* * *

_I spent the next several hours sitting in the large room, doing nothing but attempting to retain my composure. The other demons did not seem to mind this._

_This was not turning out to be a good day. I was trapped in a claustrophobic cavern from which there was no escape, surrounded by demons who would largely have nothing to do with me, with no idea of what I was expected to do or how long it would be before anything would happen. Even the ones who had sent me here were nowhere to be found._

_I had not done enough research on human religion before my attack. If I had, I might have noticed that popular opinion suggested that hell was largely considered to be deliberately torturous for anyone held within. At the time, I would have agreed with the sentiment._

_A scuffle broke out between several demons across the room. Some of the demons gathered to watch. This was not the arena the imp had mentioned, and I couldn't tell if there was a conflict or if this was a form of entertainment._

_As one of the participants attempted to bring down the other by biting at his neck, I suddenly came to the realization that I had not eaten anything since I had arrived._

_There is always a way to make the day worse._

Galamoth pauses briefly in his writing to reread the previous few paragraphs. Something seems to be bothering him about the sequence of events. But after a few moments and a brief shrug, he returns to his writing.

_I turned to look at a demon that was walking past. "Do they give us food?"_

_"Huh?" he responded._

_"Food. Do we get food?"_

_The demon gave me a dismissive "no" and continued on his way._

_This did not sit well with me. If I wasn't given a meal, how was I supposed to last long enough to be of any use to the ones who sent me here?_

_As I looked back at the fight, I suddenly realized what was going on. A large supply of demons of various types and sizes. Freedom to act as we choose, within certain constraints. And between the fights and the presence of an arena, evidence of a survival mentality among the inhabitants._

_That had to be it. I was going to have to kill and eat the other demons to survive. There could be no other explanation._

* * *

No one noticed anything unusual when Galamoth stood up and started walking around the room, carefully eyeing any demons that happened to be in the vicinity.

His attention, clouded by thoughts of delicious meat, turned to a group of small but extremely jumpy demons with hunched backs who were gathered together. They would take little effort to grab, would fit easily in his mouth, and looked more meaty than bony. Some of them carried knives; Galamoth decided to disregard those. Eventually he singled out one that was unarmed and that had strayed further from the group than the others. His target was in sight.

He slowly moved toward the group, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. Some of them watched him as he approached, so he changed his strategy and deliberately walked past the entire group. This worked; they returned their attentions to each other once he had started to move away.

Now.

In one quick motion, he spun around, crouched to his knees, and swept his arm at ground level to seize the unsuspecting demon. Before it could react, Galamoth had shoved it directly into his maw and was chewing rapidly.

Then the shriek started.

Galamoth hadn't counted on this. He had hoped that the demon's death would have been quiet and largely unnoticed. Instead, the screams of pain continued to emanate from his closed jaws. Blood flowed freely, but its flesh was proving very difficult to tear apart, even with his naturally sharp teeth. Eventually Galamoth abandoned his effort and simply swallowed the demon.

The scream didn't stop. Aside from this annoyingly persistent sound, the room had become rather quiet. Across the room, many of the demons were watching him carefully. He was able to make out a few comments about how he was going to be in serious trouble shortly.

He was in a small amount of trouble now. The knife-wielding hunchbacks had started to gather around him, and many of them were squeaking angrily and stabbing at him repeatedly. He was starting to bleed, but the stabs were small and the pain was easily ignored.

Fine. If they wanted a conflict, he would give them one. He reached down, seized one of the knife wielders, and prepared to make him the next part of his meal. As he opened his jaws, the first victim's cries became louder again.

Then something heavy struck Galamoth in the back of the head, and he collapsed to the ground.

* * *

Galamoth grimaces as he continues to write. This was not his finest moment.

_Some of the golems, apparently metallic in nature, gathered around me. Working together, they were able to turn me face up and pin my arms and legs to the ground. I attempted to struggle, but they were too heavy for me to move. A decent strategy, I had to admit. I probably could have taken down any one of the golems in a direct fight._

_This was quickly followed by the sudden appearance of another individual. I recognized this one quickly; it was the floating, skull-headed demon in the cloak that I had seen in Dracula's presence earlier. Despite the lack of expression on his skull, his voice was livid. "What is the situation?"_

_Several demons shouted out at once. Apparently I had devoured a 'fleaman'. It was becoming increasingly obvious that I should not have done so._

_He turned to face me, revealing that his eyes were glowing red. "What do you think you are doing?"_

_"I am hungry", I responded truthfully._

_He flew directly up to my face. "No. You are not. If you value your existence, you will not move a muscle and do exactly as I say."_

_It was almost a reflex for me to nod at this time, but I decided against it. It wasn't worth testing my options at the moment._

_"Open your mouth", he ordered._

_I did so, and the shriek became louder again. From the corner of my eye, I could see another fleaman with a long cord attached to his waist approaching me. He scrambled onto my chest quickly and moved closed to my neck. Then, with an amount of agility rather surprising for someone his size, he leapt in the air and landed directly in my mouth. The cord continued to rest upon my chest._

_The cloaked figure continued to give orders. "Swallow." Despite my thought that it was that very action that led to my current predicament, I obeyed._

_I felt the fleaman moving inside my body, and quickly realized that he was attempting to grab the other one. Eventually the rope stopped moving, and one of the golems stepped onto my arm in order to reach it._

_Once he had it in hand, I felt a jerking motion inside my chest. The golem must have felt it too, because he began to pull on the rope, and I could feel both bodies move back up my chest until they had reached my throat._

_"Regurgitate", the cloaked figure commanded._

_I did not know what that word meant._

_He produced his blade from earlier. "Now."_

_The golem continued to pull on the rope, and the two fleamen were still pushing against my throat. It took me only a few more seconds to realize what he wanted me to do. Afterward, the fleamen, one tired and one covered in blood, were finally pulled free of my jaws with no further difficulties. Eventually the bloody one calmed down and stopped his annoying wail, to everyone's relief._

_The cloaked figure floated upward and away from my head. "Stand and come with me."_

_The golems released their grips. I stood slowly, making sure that I had enough room to do so, then followed the cloaked figure through the demonic crowd._

Galamoth sets his pen down and takes a few deep breaths. Judging by his facial expression, this is not one of his favorite stories to tell.

He rereads the passage, confirms that all the details are accurate to the best of his knowledge, considers himself lucky that his inner organs remained unharmed, and then picks up the pen again with intent to detail the next conversation.

* * *

The room at the end of the hallway was unoccupied. Galamoth surmised that the cloaked entity had led him here so that the next part wouldn't be overheard by the other demons.

As the two entered the room, the entity whirled around and glared at him again. Galamoth couldn't be sure if the effect was heightened or weakened by the lack of eyes in his skull.

"Do you know what a demon is?" His voice was as angry as earlier.

Galamoth had heard the term used many times to refer to the other entities in this "hell", and he understood that the term would be used to refer to himself as well. However, he clearly did not understand something important, so he decided it was in his best interest to shake his head.

"It continues to baffle me how you could possess so little knowledge and yet lead such an effective offense against me and my master. Listen to me, and listen well. And I know you can understand me, so do not pretend otherwise.

"You are not a living creature. None of us are. You most certainly possessed life before you started your war against us, but this is no longer true.

"You do not need to breathe. You do not get hungry or thirsty. You do not require rest. Only living beings suffer from these afflictions."

Galamoth opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off immediately.

"That was not hunger. That was a desire for food. A want, not a need. And if you wish to continue to exist, you will quickly learn to forget such things."

At this point, the entity paused, considering his words. "It is true that some demons retain an interest in such activities. However, these are merely luxuries. You will find that you have very few actual needs and that your desires are frequently unfulfilled. You must endure nonetheless."

Galamoth started to wonder how many times the demon had delivered this exact speech in the past. It sounded rehearsed.

"Most importantly, demons do not die. If we had left your meal in there, he would have suffered for eternity in your stomach. This is unacceptable. I keep a very close count on my minions, and I expect all of them to be in good condition for when I need them."

So this entity was the leader of the demons. Galamoth did not know this.

"Why do you need us?"

The entity stopped suddenly. "You do not even know who I am, do you?"

Once again, another headshake.

The entity silently stared at him with the vacuous eyes of his skull. For a few seconds, Galamoth started to feel more uncomfortable than usual. Then the entity spoke again.

"I believe I have determined your problem. In light of Dracula's orders, there is a clear solution. Come with me."

The two headed back in the direction of the main room. As they passed through the crowd of demons, they continued to watch Galamoth with worried expressions. Some commented to each other in whispered tones that he was going to be eliminated. He was starting to believe that this was the case as well.

Eventually the entity led Galamoth down another passage. He was starting to wonder how many passages branched off from the main room, but before he got too far along those lines, they arrived in a large room that was lined with wooden structures.

The cloaked entity floated directly to one of the structures and removed a package from its resting place several feet from the ground. He then returned to Galamoth's side, holding the package up so that the reptile could see it.

In large golden letters, the front of the package read "THANATOS". Galamoth remembered a golem using that name earlier to refer to a lord, as did the goat...

"You are Thanatos?" he guessed.

The entity did not avert his gaze. "You are not nearly as unintelligent as some have surmised. Still, you are clearly uneducated."

This said, he set the package down on the ground, then gripped one of the edges and lifted it. Galamoth noted that the package actually consisted of a series of pieces of thin white material with letters printed on them.

Galamoth had done a large amount of reading while he conducted research on this planet, but he was using computers to access databases of information that other civilizations had compiled. Earth, though, was not at a stage of development to have such devices. Thus, Galamoth concluded, this must be their chosen method of recording and storing the written word. The goat had used something similar earlier, after all.

Thanatos turned and headed for the exit. "I suggest that you become educated as quickly as possible."

Galamoth looked down at the text in front of him. Despite its small size, his eyes could make out the writing clearly, and one finger would suffice to turn the pieces of material over.

There were thousands of these packages in this room. He would not be finishing his task any time soon.

Still, he considered, at least he had something to do now.


	3. Forgery

**Chapter 3: Forgery**

_Eventually I realized that I had a large amount of time on my hands._

_This was not a difficult conclusion to reach. I did not receive any orders. Few of the other demons ever approached me, and when they did, it rarely resulted in my being given something to do. And I no longer had to devote any of my time to eating or sleeping._

_I had been told to do a large amount of reading. I would hardly consider this an assignment. Given the circumstances, it was clear to me that this was for my own good. It was possible that it was also supposed to keep me away from the others, but I preferred not to think of it that way._

_But in the end, there was a more significant reason for this realization._

Galamoth stops writing. Raising his head, he listens to the sounds of the other demons.

At the moment, the underworld is unusually quiet. Conversations take place, but they reveal nothing of importance. Some demons are working, but it is hard to identify a specific goal. Compared to the atmosphere back then, it is rather sedate.

Galamoth looks back at the paper. This is not necessarily a good thing.

_Nothing ever happened in hell._

_Minor incidents, like the first day's fight, were enough to attract any demons that happened to be in the area. Larger events, like the first day's... other fight, were rare and notable enough to become the talk of the entire population, or at least those demons that were paying attention._

_The kind of events that would actually affect the fortunes of everyone in hell? The times when the demons would actually be expected to do something? For those, you would have to wait for decades at a time._

_I read the book that I had been given. Then I picked up another book and read it as well. There were more than enough books to hold my attention. I would occasionally leave the "library" in an effort to find something new to do, possibly involving other demons, but in the end, I would always come back to the books. Book after book, with almost nothing that could be considered an interruption._

_And then one day, some of the demons brought in some new books to be added to the shelves. Taken from the humans, one of them said. And I picked one of them up, and noticed a reference to the current year, and I realized that I had been kept in that place for more than ten years of my life._

There is no mirror in the room, so Galamoth opts to look down at his body. It looks the same as it always has: golden-brown scaly skin tightly bound around a toned yet thin physique.

His race ages slowly compared to the humans here, he recalls. It isn't until they are approximately fifty years by this planet's measure that they are considered adults. Many members of his race live to be over two hundred. His father died just before he was... ninety? And Galamoth himself was somewhere between sixty-five and seventy when he was sent on his mission.

If someone from home was to see him today, he would never guess him to be anything above eighty.

Aging. Another one of those things that only living beings do.

He had asked a demon about this a long time ago. The demon hadn't understood what he was talking about. Another demon had to step in to explain why.

"Demons come from different backgrounds", he had said. "Some demons were once mortal and were made into demons, like you. Some came into existence as part of a mythology and were adopted as demons, like me. And some were just created to be demons."

Galamoth had done some research on the first three demons he had met. Dracula looked younger, but he was over 300 years old when Galamoth first met him. Thanatos was part of the mythological set, and his age was impossible to determine, but it had to be at least 1500. Adrian... judging by his speech patterns, he was probably as young as he looked back then.

Demons are always at least as old as they appear, but never younger. Galamoth had made a note of that early on. He still remembers it, although he keeps finding exceptions to the rule. The Alura Unes, for instance. Also most artificially created creatures, such as the homunculi.

Galamoth looks at the paper again. He has gotten very far off the original topic. It's just as well, he decides. No one here needs to read this kind of philosophy.

_Over that decade, I had improved significantly. I understood the basics of what hell was, and how it worked. I knew a great deal of information about the Earth itself, and what the humans had been doing for the last several millennia. I could identify many of the demons on sight, if only by type, and often identify their origin if they were of the mythological set. And, most obviously to everyone, I could finally hold a conversation with other demons and actually sound intelligent in the process._

_He never said anything more about it, but I think Thanatos appreciated that I had managed to overcome my early obstacle._

Galamoth picks up one of the two books he had been looking at earlier. THANATOS, the cover still reads. The first book he had ever read. He only recently found it again, and he intends to keep it in a safe place this time.

All the demons knew Thanatos, and with good reason. He was their leader. But, he notes, very few call him by that name. The ones who served him directly, certainly, but few others. Everyone else called him Death.

Galamoth had always called him Thanatos. Why was that? Constantly associating him with the book would explain it. But perhaps, Galamoth thinks, he also appreciated him. Thanatos had good reason to kill him several times and he never did so. Actions like that at least commanded respect.

He rarely saw his leader, though, at least when something significant wasn't happening. It was just as well. He must have been busy. It was Galamoth's understanding that he had a number of other significant duties in hell, including overseeing certain processes involving deceased humans.

Galamoth sighs. Humanity. That really was what this whole situation was about, wasn't it?

They populated the surface of the planet. Despite their noticeable inferiority to demonkind, they vastly outnumbered them. There were more similarities between the groups than some of the demons cared to admit; a number of the humans had become demons, and it was rare to find a demon who was not well known in a human civilization somewhere. And it was odd that a demon was specifically assigned to handle their dead.

The demons had differing opinions regarding the humans. Some felt that they were too weak to deserve to exist. Some felt that they were a pleasant diversion from the mundanity of hell life. Most, including Galamoth, wondered why they held sole claim to the surface in the first place when the demons could easily settle there as well.

And then there was Dracula. The stories Galamoth had heard suggested that he was a human once, but had formed some kind of contract with Thanatos that allowed him to become as powerful as the demons, despite his continued existence on the surface. He, some demons had said, was also responsible for maintaining the portal that allowed them to visit the surface at will. It almost sounded like he was an ambassador between the two populations, and indeed he had taken a human mate.

Adrian was a result of this union. This surprised Galamoth when he first found out. The fact that the boy who had defeated him and his army in combat wasn't even a full vampire, let alone a mature one, made him wonder once again how much greater Dracula's power was than his own.

Galamoth starts thinking about his invasion attempt again. He had believed that the demons would be enough to subjugate the humans. Would it have worked if the vampires hadn't intervened? Would the same concept work outside of a military approach? Could the demons lead the humans if they had a chance?

It doesn't sound like a bad idea to him. The humans have always displayed more innovation than the demons, which sometimes makes up for their physical and magical shortcomings. The demons could take advantage of the fruits of the humans' labor and lend their strength to the humans in turn, and there was more than enough space in the world for both of them, eliminating any need for these stuffy caverns.

Galamoth closes his eyes and shakes his head. If only that could have happened. Anything would have been better than what had actually transpired next.

He returns to his writing, wondering if he should have written down any of what he had just been thinking.

* * *

Galamoth first found out when he took a break from his reading and headed back through the hallway, only to find that the main room contained considerably fewer demons than usual. Confused by the discrepancy, he asked one of the nearby demons what was going on.

"We're at war", the demon said with a shrug.

One of the unfortunate aspects of current events is that books rarely contain any information about them. Galamoth had to continue to ask around before he could figure out what had happened.

A large group of humans had apparently killed Dracula's mate in a public display of defiance against demonkind. The vampire lord was understandably furious, and he vowed to destroy those responsible. Thanatos had immediately offered the assistance of his demons to aid in the process, and most of them were still fighting the humans.

Galamoth immediately raised the question of how the humans could put up any kind of resistance when the average demon was so much stronger than the average human. This was not answered.

His second question was why he had not been informed of this earlier. One of the demons offered a theory, which was logical enough. There was an advantage in not sending all available demons at once, especially when jobs still needed to be done. Considering how many stayed behind, there was no need to specifically inform them of such.

This led immediately to a third question, which Galamoth opted not to ask. Why wasn't he one of the demons chosen to fight?

Before he left one of the demons suggested as tactfully as possible that Galamoth pay more attention to the happenings in the main room. Thanatos had made a public appearance to announce what was going on, and he then left to fight on the front lines as well.

Galamoth then asked a fourth question. Sadly, none of the demons had any idea about who was in charge while Thanatos was gone.

* * *

_I returned to my reading, but found it hard to concentrate with all of the rumors being spread among the demons. One of the more significant stories was that Dracula's forces were being heavily opposed by a man who was a descendant of one of his old friends, and one who he had abandoned when he originally made his agreement with Thanatos. According to their accounts, he was strong and well equipped enough to kill many of our demons in one fell swoop. The humans had a general now, and one that would ensure that this war would not end without large numbers of casualties. He was not to be ignored._

_I only wish that this revelation had been the largest shock of that day._

_"Adrian defected to his side", one of the demons told me later._

_Adrian? Dracula's only son? The one who defeated me when I first arrived, while pretending to be his father? Why would he turn against his own father, especially considering that it was his mother's death that led to this war?_

_This question in particular haunted me for a while. I thought I had seen a family bond that went far beyond those common to my world, and to have it broken so inexplicably... I couldn't explain it._

Galamoth stops for a moment to think. How did he feel about Adrian back then? He had to respect his talent in combat, for obvious reasons. But he had only been a child, and the two never had a chance to actually interact with each other in any kind of civilized manner.

At least, not yet.

Moving on, Galamoth thinks, returning to the narrative.

_The oddest detail of this war, though, was that it was not that defection that most affected my life back then. It was a later betrayal, and one that was only indirectly related to my next actions._

* * *

"Excuse me... Galamoth?"

Galamoth lowered his book to take a good look at the demon that was interrupting his reading. "What is it?" he asked as patiently as possible.

"I am trying to find someone who is trained in devil forging. Would you happen to know anything about it?"

Galamoth couldn't believe what he had just heard. He paused for a while to collect his thoughts. Someone had finally acknowledged his presence and was requesting his help. He would have to be incredibly foolish to turn down an offer like this one. And forging? He considered himself to have some degree of talent at that task.

He set the book down slowly and tried his best to not look too enthusiastic. "I have some experience in forging."

The demon smiled. "Excellent. Please come with me."

After a walk through the main room, the two passed through yet another hallway. According to the writing on the walls around them, any demon that entered this area without sufficient reason would quickly come to regret it. Galamoth wasn't sure what type of punishment could possibly have that effect. The act of devouring a demon had only been a temporary inconvenience for everyone involved...

The room on the other side was rather large and contained various pieces of equipment that Galamoth had never seen before. A massive altar that swirled with magical energy rested in the center of the room. Along the walls were various containers, each labeled differently. Larger closed containers were kept against the back wall as well, and these had visible locks on them.

The demon turned and looked up to face Galamoth. "One of our forgemasters abandoned us to fight on the other side during the war."

"Why?" Galamoth wondered.

"I am still not certain. However, in his absence, we are down to only one and we could use all the help we can get."

Galamoth knelt down and examined the containers nearest the entrance. According to the labels, they contained souls. "What are these souls for?" he asked.

"We use them to forge devils, of course. You did say you had experience in this field, correct?"

Galamoth stopped. This wasn't right. When he had been asked...

He turned to face the demon. "I must apologize. I misunderstood your request. I said I have experience in forging. That is, the metallic kind."

The demon frowned. "That is unfortunate. We were really hoping..." He paused as if he had remembered something, and then started again. "Wait. There's still a chance. Let me check on something."

He left quickly, leaving Galamoth alone in the devil forge. No staff appeared to be on duty, and he was disappointed to not be able to see the process in action. Another part of him was annoyed that he had let everyone down.

"Quite an interesting tactic there."

As usual, he scanned the floor around him to see who had chosen to address him. In seconds, he had spotted a small blackish demon sitting on the side of the altar. If this was truly a devil forge, then this was most likely one of the devils that it was used to produce. He didn't know if this one was supposed to be able to run loose.

Galamoth looked at it inquisitively. "What do you mean?"

The devil gestured in the direction of the altar. "Very few are allowed to enter this room. But you managed to get in, merely by claiming to be something that you were not."

Galamoth glared at it. "Are you claiming that I deliberately deceived him?"

The devil shrugged. "I do not know, but I find it interesting that your initiative has reaped rewards beyond those that you would have been given for honesty alone."

"But I haven't gained anything."

"We shall see. Image is more important than you think."

Galamoth paused to consider his words. Was image as useful as it claimed? He certainly could vouch for that. Back when he had first become a demon, he had been treated rudely because the others had mistaken him for an incompetent brute. Now that he carried himself with more dignity, he was starting to be treated as if he belonged...

The demon returned at that time. Galamoth glanced back at the altar, only to find that the devil was no longer in sight.

"We may have a position for you after all. Follow me."

Several more hallways later, Galamoth entered a room that he would consider a proper forge, the kind where people heated metal and used it to craft weapons and armor. This time, a group of demons were clearly doing their job.

The devil forge demon conferred quietly with a pair of demons, then turned to speak to Galamoth again. "It turns out that one of the men who work this forge has some devil forging experience. If you are able to fulfill his duties here, he can work at the other forge and we'll have solved our manpower crisis."

This was optimistic. "What are his duties?" Galamoth asked.

The larger of the other two demons answered this one. "Mostly shaping. I'm concerned, though. You don't look like the type to be exact at small details."

Galamoth considered this. The demon had a point. Still, confidence had gotten him this far. "My hands may be large, but I have an acute eye. I shall perform the task."

"Do not disappoint me", the devil forge demon said as he led the third demon out of the room. The remaining demon gestured at Galamoth to follow him.

* * *

Galamoth taps the pen several times against the floor. The things he could write about the forging process could fill a small book by themselves. But he isn't here to write about it, is he?

He tries to keep it short. A few tales of how he used to do some metalwork back on his home planet, and a short description of some of the tools used for the task of heating and cooling the metal quickly. A few examples of his exploits at home and a few from his time in the military, including one story he liked to tell where he sealed a breach in a ship's hull while it was still in orbit and engaged in battle. And then a comparison to the simpler process here, including the reliance on fire and water, which is helpfully provided by demons who specialize in creating the substances.

The forgemaster had been right, though. Galamoth wasn't the ideal choice for shaping the small details, such as the edges of weapons. However, it was quickly agreed that he was more efficient than the others at creating armor and golems. He could lift the necessary metal without help, he knew a lot about structural integrity, and there was less focus on pinpoint accuracy. In a short time he was turning out output that was an improvement over the forge's previous work and took at least half an hour less to make as well. He had finally found his niche.

By the time Galamoth realizes it, he has already filled several pages with his anecdotes. Some habits die hard, he decides. He decides against scrapping them, just in case someone who reads his story is interested in a few tips.

Now he needs to tell the parts of the story that may be important later.

* * *

"Master", he asked the forgemaster as the two were preparing a suit of armor to be moved to the devil forge for purposes of installing a soul. "I was wondering if we are permitted to use this forge for personal reasons."

His supervisor didn't seem to expect this question. "What do you mean by personal reasons?"

"For instance, if I wanted to build a weapon or armor for myself."

"You're still expecting to get called to battle, aren't you?"

Galamoth nodded. "I don't think Dracula would have offered to let me work for him if he didn't intend for me to fight."

"Our duty is not to question his intents. As for the forge itself, I see no reason for you not to use it yourself when we have met quota."

"Do you mean that? Thank..."

"But you must provide the metal yourself", the forgemaster interrupted. "Our supply is solely used to fill the requests of our superiors."

"Do you know where I could find metal?"

"Other than here, I do not know. I guess I cannot suggest that you try going to the surface, given your situation."

Galamoth groaned. "Then it is a lost cause."

"For now, perhaps. But I promise that if things change in your favor and you get some metal of your own, I will allow you to use the forge as you desire."

Galamoth took a small amount of comfort in this. His employer was not a cruel demon. There was no doubt in his mind that he meant every word of his promise. But, for the moment, it was more important to work.

* * *

This is going to be the tough part, Galamoth thinks as he prepares a new sheet of paper. Any demon who reads the beginning of this story will have noticed an obvious discrepancy by now. It is time to confess.

_One of the less obvious side effects of my position was that I had started to gain more notoriety among the demons. At least, it was starting to be more positive than "that giant hungry dinosaur"._

_There were advantages. Some demons were starting to speak openly to me, hoping to gain my trust. Others had suggested that I try my luck in the arena, at least before I admitted that I had nothing worth wagering there. I had to admit, it was nice to receive some worthwhile attention._

_At least before the inevitable question came._

* * *

"Hey, Galamoth, I was thinking of applying for a position in the forge. Do you think I have what it takes?"

From his sitting position, Galamoth had a good vantage point to size up the demon who was addressing him. "I do not know. Do you have practice?"

"Well, I think I know the steps and I'm pretty good at craftwork. I'm not sure I'd be anywhere as good as you, though."

A bit of a suck-up, Galamoth had to admit. "I just do my best."

"But, I mean, I never expected someone like you to have that kind of skill. Where did you pick it up, anyway?"

Galamoth saw where this was going, and he tried to stop it immediately. "I can't really say", he said dismissively. "It just came naturally to me, I guess."

"You must've learned it from a young age, huh? Where are you from?"

Too late, Galamoth thought.

"I don't have time for these questions. If you want to try to get a job in the forge, try convincing one of the superiors there. I'm busy."

And Galamoth stood up and stormed off, leaving a number of bewildered demons looking at him.

* * *

_These conversations were becoming more and more common, and it was turning into an annoying predicament. I could name many of the more famous demons in our ranks, and not only that, but state their origins. Dracula was originally Romanian, Thanatos came from Greece, the fire demon in the forge who goes by the name of Agni was well known in India, and so on. Even in cases of former mortals, I could simply say that they were originally human or whatever kind of creature they were and leave it at that._

_But I couldn't tell anyone anything about myself. While the diversity of the demons and lands of the surface was great, I had noticed during my many years of reading that no one, demon or human, had ever considered the possibility that there were other inhabited planets in existence. And I had repeatedly convinced myself by that time that no one would ever learn that from me, lest I lose much of my reputation and get labeled a liar. Or, worse, an invader._

Galamoth tries to remember when he came up with the idea. It had to have been less than three years after he started work in the forge, because the war was still going on. But it wasn't any specific conversation that led to his decision. He had just been thinking one day when he remembered that devil back in the devil forge.

"Image is more important than you think."

Its words were true enough. He was starting to gain a positive image, and he was not willing to throw it away simply to hide his secret.

"I find it interesting that your initiative has reaped rewards beyond those that you would have been given for honesty alone."

An accidental misinterpretation had caused him to claim expertise in a position that he didn't know, and yet it indirectly gave him a chance to take up a position at which he was actually competent.

Galamoth has wondered about that many times. Would he have ever been allowed to work at the forge if he hadn't suggested that he could work at a different one? And did it truly matter if it was an accident or not?

"You managed to get in, merely by claiming to be something that you were not."

Galamoth had started to see his problem from another angle. The demons wanted to find out more about him. The problem wasn't that he didn't tell them where he was actually from. The problem was that he wasn't telling them anything at all. Any answer, if believable enough, would suffice.

"Merely by claiming to be something that you were not."

What would have been believable for them? Certainly, a civilization that had collapsed, since that way there would be few direct records kept of his existence or lack of same. Preferably something that would have led to the upbringing that he actually had.

"Claiming to be something that you were not."

He was known for being large and powerful. He knew magic. He knew metalcraft. He worked well in the heat, from having spent much of his early life in a village in the desert...

"Something that you were not."

Many texts in the library suggest that listening to the advice of devils is never a good idea. Galamoth has never believed this. After all, the same texts frequently say the same thing about every being with which he interacts on a daily basis.

_I went for the mythology texts. I had a lot of memorization to do._

* * *

"This place is a lot hotter and drier than I expected."

Galamoth turned around to look at the speaker, a fairly large creature that looked to be of amphibious lineage. Given the context, he could only assume that it was a new recruit. He smirked slightly.

"This is hell. I have no idea what else you would have expected. I think there's a pool for the sea creatures somewhere nearby."

The amphibian nodded, started to walk away, and then turned to face him again. "How can you stand it here? I thought reptiles were cold-blooded, too."

Galamoth shrugged. "It's not too bad. At least, compared to the desert."

"Oh, you're a desert lizard? Which one?"

This was his cue. "The Sahara. The wind made it a lot more annoying than it is around here, actually. You'd get sand in your scales, and the closest thing you'd ever get to relief was when the Nile flooded."

The amphibian nodded again, this time in what may have been sympathy. "I can only imagine. Where was that pool you mentioned?"

As Galamoth pointed in the general direction, he noticed that a number of demons had started to congregate around him.

"You're from Egypt?"

"Ancient or modern?"

"Were you a pharaoh?"

It had worked. He had caught their interest. "I don't think the ancient Egyptians would have allowed something like me to be a pharaoh. Most of them didn't even know I existed."

"You wouldn't be one of their gods, then."

"Are you half human?"

He shook his head. "Not quite. Are you familiar with the Petsuchos?"

None of the demons seemed to have heard of it. That would make things easier, even though his story was carefully crafted to fit even the accounts of those with that knowledge.

"It is the name of a great alligator that resided in the city of Crocodilopolis. Some believed it was an incarnation of Sobek, the crocodile god of fertility. Others thought it was only the god's pet."

He paused for effect. As he did so, he overheard one of the Greek demons explaining to another demon that Suchos was their name for the same god.

"Either way, the people of the city treated it with great respect, adorned it with jewels, and would mummify it upon its death."

One of the demons spoke up. "Its death? There was more than one?"

Galamoth smiled. "You catch on quickly. They were not truly gods, and I would be surprised if one showed up around here, despite their reputation."

"So why are you here?"

Galamoth gazed at a point at the far wall of the room. "I am Galamoth, the guardian of the Petsuchos. When a Petsuchos would die and get sent to the realm of Anubis, I would select the next crocodile to bear the title. Bearing the chosen one over my shoulder, I would trudge along the length of the Nile, keeping it safe from harm in the process. Once I arrived in the city of Crocodilopolis, I would bathe the crocodile in the river's waters to make it presentable, and then release it in the city to be captured by the populace. Then I would return to my home to sleep until my services were required again."

"You lived in the labyrinth of Arsinoe?" It was the Greek demon from before.

Galamoth shook his head. "I lived outside of the area populated by humans. Thus, I survived without interaction with them."

He nodded in understanding. Another demon piped up. "So how did you get here?"

Galamoth shrugged. "I am still not certain. After delivering a Petsuchos one year, I went into my usual repose and never awoke again. I can only assume from my studies that this coincided with the arrival of the Ptolemy clan, who guaranteed that the crocodiles would never be held in high regard there again.

"I have yet to determine why I would only arrive here a full seventeen centuries later, but I suppose even a guardian like myself would have been mortal."

A few of the demons walked away with sad expressions. Others continued to eye Galamoth with interest. He could hear some of them conversing with other demons that had just showed up.

"...he was large enough to carry a full-grown crocodile with one arm..."

"...long legs, well built from many trips across the dunes..."

"...not purely human, not purely crocodile... somehow a combination..."

The Greek spoke again. "So the ancient Greeks never knew about you. That makes sense. Your name would not have been translated to Galamos..."

Galamoth mentally winced at this. He had gotten used to his name, but hearing it mangled always reminded him of how he came by that name in the first place.

"During my life, I had extremely limited exposure to human culture, so I was unable to identify my surroundings or learn the language. I only recently discovered the name of the Petsuchos during my research. When I noticed that the story matched my memory, I realized from where I originated.

"Not even the gods favored me with their presence. I have a theory that may explain this. Even in Crocodilopolis, crocodiles were often considered a plague. They used to say that Sobek was a demon, you know.

"Thus, I knew nothing of the Greeks, and barely anything of the Egyptians. I cannot even find my name in the mythological texts."

The Greek seemed satisfied, although disappointed. Galamoth started to suspect that he had been hoping to compare notes.

The chatter continued. He had no idea how well his story would go over, and certainly didn't realize how many had been hoping to hear it.

The great deception had begun.


	4. Touch Of Magic

_**Author's Note: This chapter marks the first time that the M rating comes into play. This is not the last you'll hear from it. This is your warning.**_

**_Additional note: Regarding the final scene, yes, probably. For those who know their Castlevania and their Japanese slang, yes, I know that, too. This could be fun._**

**Chapter 4: Touch Of Magic**

_It was mere months after I had adopted this identity that Thanatos returned to the underworld. It wasn't bad timing for me at all. Now that I had established my new background, attention could easily switch to him and I would not be forced to answer any difficult questions in the near future._

_Thanatos, however, was not in a good mood. Upon his arrival, he appeared in the main room and delivered a speech consisting of only three words._

_"Dracula is gone."_

As usual, it was up to Galamoth to figure out the parts of the story that he was missing on his own time. It was easier this time. There were more demons around and they were more talkative than before.

According to them, not only had the descendant of the Belmont clan managed to destroy Dracula, but a subsequent effort to revive him using a enchantment he had cast on the region had failed as well, thanks to the efforts of the traitorous forgemaster. Thanatos took more offense at the second part, as he seemed to have placed a lot of personal effort into the revival plan.

Galamoth had to wonder how a single human managed to destroy Dracula. It reminded him uncomfortably of how Adrian had defeated him and his entire army without trouble. If Dracula's own army had lost just as easily... just how strong was this human?

In the days to follow, the consequences of this defeat were becoming more apparent. The lack of Dracula meant that there was no longer a portal to the surface, and the demons were effectively trapped within their own underworld with considerably fewer activities available. The main room was more crowded than before. And without a war effort occurring, there was less need for the forge to be constantly manned, and Galamoth could no longer expect to spend as much time there.

In an effort to boost morale, Thanatos decided to make another announcement. Dracula would return again someday, and things would be back to normal. He did not answer any questions about how this was going to happen, but he did mention that the process would not take more than one hundred years.

* * *

There are some sentences that you simply don't expect to ever write in your own autobiography, Galamoth notes. It's just as well that this will be filed alongside the other reading material in this place's library. If a human were to read this, he would have a hard time accepting it. It would even give members of his own race pause if they were around.

He writes it quickly. _Seventy-five years passed without incident._

Sure, things happened. He talked to a large number of demons and became friendly with some of them. He kept making things in the forge. He read through a large portion of the library's material. He even decided to fall asleep at one point, simply because it had been so long since he had wanted to do so. Unfortunately, for the same reason that his body no longer needed to sleep, it no longer had an impetus to wake up, and more than two years passed before another demon decided to disturb his hibernation. It was just as well; he missed nothing in the meantime.

Hell, according to some books, is a place to spend eternity. He has no problem believing it.

* * *

Still, it was always possible to find something new to do.

Galamoth had frequently spoken of his magical talents, but he had never actually been given a reason to use them since he was sent down here. Still, he was always capable of detecting an aura around some of the other demons, and they were capable of seeing the same thing.

One day in the forge, Agni simply asked him about it.

Agni's talent was obvious. He created and controlled fire. He wasn't the type to keep his skeletal body covered in flames when in tightly packed groups, but whenever he was alone or in the forge, he allowed his power to constantly wash over himself. He could also make his flames considerably hotter than naturally possible; this was very useful in the forge. It was the kind of experience that made Galamoth happy to have lived in the desert. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like if he burned easily.

By comparison, Galamoth considered himself a jack of all trades, with one point of specialty. He could handle lightning extremely well, and was capable of changing its form and trajectory with his mere thoughts. Sadly, this was not foolproof; he could not actually produce lightning himself. Still, if there was an electrical source available, including storm clouds, he could easily force it to come to him. The underworld, he noticed, was lacking in that regard.

He didn't know why he had this talent. Certainly, the military expected him to develop and harness it, which suggested that the ability was common to his race. But he never studied biology and never found out why they did at all. Naturally, he mentioned none of this to Agni. The demon had enough trouble figuring out what good such abilities would do when crossing the desert with a crocodile in tow.

Galamoth decided to show off some of his own fiery ability that day. He could not possibly impress Agni in that manner, but it was useful for comparison's sake. Agni, to his credit, didn't dismiss his ability outright. Even better, he listened when Galamoth noted that his spell's power seemed to be greater than it had been before he met Dracula.

In the end, Agni informed Galamoth of a group of spellcasters that occasionally gathered in one of the rooms. Perhaps they would be able to explain more of the details to him, he suggested.

When Galamoth first stopped by to meet the group, he had to wonder if he had walked down the wrong hallway. The room's population consisted entirely of human women.

* * *

Some demons have pointed out many times that Galamoth has a certain bias in favor of witches. It started here, he realizes. It's amazing how much minor events like this one can affect someone's perceptions, and how the past several hundred years could have turned out completely differently if he had turned down Agni's advice.

Oddly enough, these gatherings would mark the first time that he had prolonged and regular exposure to other spellcasters. And to females that weren't of his own race. And to former humans. All at the same time. It was not hard to be uncomfortable in such a situation.

_That wasn't completely true. There were a number of sorcerers in the group, as well as a few demons. But these witches clearly made up the majority. When I pointed this out, they gave me a pretty reasonable explanation that they probably gave to every new member. Humans are highly social and like meeting people similar to themselves, and most magic-wielding demons don't feel like their inherent talents warrant any kind of investigation or practice._

_I decided to ask them how they became demons. This was a touchy subject for them. A large number of them had been killed by their own kind for practicing their talents, a fate that reminded me uncomfortably of what I had been told about Dracula's mate. Some of them were recruited by wandering demons, while others apparently sold themselves to demons in an effort to increase their power._

_That part intrigued me, and I asked if there was any proven connection between becoming a demon and having greater magical power. Most believed one existed, but their explanations differed. One postulated that magic was inherently an unholy force. Another wondered if the knowledge that one was not mortal gave the user an incentive to use more inner energy without fear of endangering oneself. Yet another believed that magic was considered to be myth by humanity, and that having a reputation of mythology was actually beneficial to the denizens of hell._

_The philosophy was interesting, but in the end uninformative. Still, I remained with the group for more practical reasons. For instance, the group was granted permission to throw their spells around at inanimate objects without having Thanatos on their case, and I wanted the practice._

Galamoth had learned a lot from that group, he recalls. Over the course of many meetings, he had been trained to create a ball of dark energy from his own essence and use it as a weapon. He had learned a few tricks to getting more output on his spells with a certain degree of finesse and knowledge of physics. And while he never learned how to produce any significant amount of electricity himself, the witches were fully willing to create it for him and allow him to control it. More than once, he treated this as a challenge, and cast a few spells of his own while keeping the lightning well-focused.

It wasn't necessarily productive for him, he thinks, but he had enjoyed it.

* * *

_I was starting to become quite popular with that group. But I really didn't think about it until a demon visited me one day to ask about my harem._

"My what?"

"Have you seen the way they crowd around you? How they give you their full attention whenever you're around? How they brag to the other demons about spending time with you?"

Galamoth most certainly had not noticed the third part. "Why would they do that?" he asked.

"Didn't they have harems in Egypt?"

An easy bypass. "I rarely spent my time in the presence of humans there."

The demon made a dismissive gesture. "Well, this is the same thing. A bunch of women, all showering their attentions on one man of great respect, in hopes of receiving sexual attention."

Galamoth looked at him with a confused expression. "What attention?"

"Sexual."

"I am not familiar with that term."

"Okay, you definitely haven't spent much time with humans."

_To head off the obvious questions here, yes, my race probably engages in reproduction. No, I had not actually done studies into that process at any time in my youth. No, I have no idea when such ideas are taught there, as I apparently left on my mission before I ever heard about them._

The demon stopped by again a few hours later, this time with a female demon following closely behind him. At his request, Galamoth followed him to an empty room.

Once they arrived, the demon gestured in her direction. "Okay, my friend here is what we call a succubus."

Galamoth knew that term. "A demon said to take the form of a woman and steal the souls of men in their sleep."

"True enough, but that's not the point. The point is how she does it." A brief pause, as he looked at her with worry. "Or, in this case, doesn't do it, because Death has rules against the claiming of each other's souls here."

The female gave the male an odd look, but continued to smile.

He continued. "Now, her outfit is designed to show everything you need to know about."

"What's the point of doing that?" Galamoth asked.

"What?"

"You and I are both wearing less than she is."

The demon rolled his eyes. "This is going to be a long night."

"I hope so", the succubus added.

_While certainly new to me, I had to admit that the demonstration was largely underwhelming._

_According to his argument, females had body parts that were devoted to the process of reproduction, and males had different ones, and they were often used on each other to achieve the full effect. The other two certainly seemed to enjoy it._

_After this, the succubus suggested that she try the same process on me. I agreed hesitantly, wondering why they made such a big deal about it._

_According to this planet's scientists, the males of my race have what is called a cloaca. Oddly enough, she was familiar with this concept, so she suggested that I move to a position that gave her access to it. Unfortunately, I could not see anything of what she was doing while I was lying on my back._

_Given the inherent size difference, it was not hard for her to reach her arm inside and feel around for whatever she had said I needed to extend first. While I had never had anyone do that to me before, I couldn't really say that I found it enjoyable. After a few minutes of not finding anything, she stood up, muttered some harsh words under her breath, and suggested that the male try the same thing. He was hesitant to do so, and achieved just as little success._

_In the end, the female left in a huff, describing me as "no fun". Before he departed, the male asked me if I might have actually been created asexually. Once again, I had no idea what he was talking about._

_While the test was apparently a failure, I decided that the demon's theory was irrelevant, because even after rumors of these events spread around, I was still popular among the female spellcasters. Perhaps they were not a harem after all, or perhaps they had interests other than the one he suggested._

* * *

Galamoth lifts his pen, puts the sheet of paper to the side and moves on to the next sheet without any hesitation.

_It was several decades later when Thanatos reported to everyone that Dracula had returned to life._

_This was met with great support from the demons. Everyone knew what this meant. The portal would be reopened. They would be able to return to their normal activities._

_Thanatos then revealed that Dracula intended to finish what he had started. The humans had not been punished for their crime, and he was going to stop their destructive tendencies using any means necessary. Having met many former humans who had been killed by their own kind for petty reasons, I had to support our lord's proclamation._

_This war effort was handled a little differently than before. Not in my case, though, as I was still not chosen to fight and was expected to continue to handle forge duties for the duration. But this time, Thanatos remained behind as well. When asked why, he mentioned that there was a plan involved. None of us pressed our master for more information._

Galamoth stops to think about how he intends to continue this section. Nothing else of note happened before that war ended, but jumping directly from the beginning to the end of the war makes the narrative look sloppy.

In the end, he decides to do it anyway.

_Eventually the rumor spread that Dracula had been defeated again, and it had once again been the doing of a descendant of the Belmont clan. This name was starting to be feared among the demon population, and with good cause._

_However, Thanatos assured us, this was part of his backup plan. Dracula had not been killed at all. He merely fled his castle and went into hiding in a more obscure location, while hopefully convincing the humans that he had fallen in battle._

_This way, Dracula could maintain a portal to hell for multiple years. And thanks to his efforts, demons would be able to steal supplies from the humans and recruit more minions while appearing to be nothing more than stragglers from the war. While I was skeptical at first, this plan appeared to be working, and the location of the portal had yet to be found._

_As usual, I wasn't allowed to use the portal. By this time, however, I was trusted enough by the guard golems that they did not specifically close it in my presence. I considered convincing some of the other demons to raid some supplies for me, but realized that anything of value to me would be entirely too noticeable. I didn't want to ruin the plan for my own selfishness._

* * *

_It didn't matter in the long run, because my greatest reward from this plan was not something I had been expecting._

As the demons were not expected to battle at this time, the forge was officially on standby. However, there was another duty that had become more important, and Galamoth found himself helping out in that regard instead.

The number of individuals being recruited for the demon cause was at a peak, and there was a large influx of turncoat humans at this time. Many of them were magic users who had been oppressed by the general population. Thus, it was the opinion of the spellcasters that the group needed to meet more often in order to get the new demons properly trained in the ways of magic. Galamoth gave his full support to the idea.

Still, there were lulls between the meetings, so he often found himself heading back to the library. With the portal open again, there was literature from the past century that was constantly being added to the shelves, and he felt it was well worth his time to read it. Finding out what new advances the humans had made was the best starting place.

One evening, as he was reading up on the influence of nationally supported piracy on the oceans, a feminine voice interrupted him.

"Y... you're one of the magicians... right?"

As he was sitting on the floor at the time, he didn't have to look far down to see who was asking the question. A woman with long blue hair, dressed in simple magician's robes of an equally bluish hue, was standing near him and looking up at his face. At least, she was trying to, but she kept averting her eyes. He noticed her magical aura quickly.

Galamoth nodded. "I do have magical ability. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I, um, had seen the group and... um... you kinda stood out, so I re...remembered you... and I, uh, wanted to speak with someone there... alone."

"Why alone?" he asked, deciding against making any comments about how a thirty-foot-tall reptile tends to stand out in a crowd. She sounded serious, after all.

"I... I'm a magic us... a magician, too", she said, stumbling through her words. "But I... um... I'm not very good..."

"It sounds more like you're shy. I don't think you need to worry about what the others think."

"No. No... it's not that... um... it's just... um... could you please... uh..."

Galamoth impatiently waited for her to get to the point.

"...I don't know... uh... if you're not busy... watch me cast something... help me... uh... get better?"

Galamoth couldn't decide if she was terrified of large groups or if she really just wanted to spend time with him. "I'm in the middle of reading right now, but if you're willing to wait..."

"Oh, sure, um, no problem... uh... what are you reading?"

Galamoth sighed, turned the book around and showed her the cover.

"No... no... I don't want to be a bu... burden... sorry... it's just... uh..."

"Enough!"

Galamoth immediately realized that he had shouted at the top of his lungs. The woman was staring at him silently, mouth agape in shock. He wasn't sure that she entirely deserved that.

He slowly shook his head. "Very well. If you'll stay quiet for another hour, I'll go with you and let you show me whatever it is you want me to see."

Her face brightened up. "R... really? Th... thank you very much... sir."

She looked around for a few seconds, then headed over to one of the shelves and took one of the books from it. Content that she was distracting herself with reading rather than distracting him, Galamoth returned to his own text.

There was no real way to tell time in hell. But after a while, he decided that he was at a good stopping place in the book, so he placed the text down on the ground and took a closer look at the woman. Despite his initial impressions of her, she seemed very comfortable as she paged through the text in front of her. She couldn't have been a nervous wreck normally. Something was wrong.

He picked up the book again and stood slowly, making more of a commotion than he usually did.

"Uh... wait a second", she said, holding her hand up in his direction.

She was still engrossed in her book, he noticed. He had to conclude that she enjoyed reading, and if that was the case, perhaps she had initially come here for a reason other than to see him.

A few pages later, she closed the text and set it down. "Is there a safe place for this?"

Galamoth nodded. "Back on the shelf, probably."

She shook her head. "No, for the... uh... the magic."

"You really don't want anyone else to see this, do you?"

"It... it's not that. I just..."

"We can see if there's an empty room somewhere."

As the two walked back through the main room, a number of demons stopped talking for a moment to look at them. Galamoth noticed that the woman wasn't handling this very well.

Eventually Galamoth found a back room that was unoccupied and motioned for her to follow him in.

Her mannerisms were as nervous as ever. "Okay... now... um... I'm gonna warn you... uh..."

"You're afraid of the other demons, aren't you?" he interrupted.

"Well... uh, yeah, that too. I'm kinda new here and... uh... never really saw demons before... they're... uh... well...", and then, in a whisper, "they're not gonna kill me, are they?"

Galamoth was taken aback slightly. "No, they will not. You are a demon, like them. You can't die." He remembered how he had learned that the hard way, and from the opposite perspective from her.

She nodded slowly. "Oh. That's, uh, good to know... I hope..."

"I'm confused. If you were afraid for your life, why did you talk to me? I am often told I look more threatening than the others."

She looked up at him and shrugged. "Well, yeah, but you were, uh, reading. I... uh... guess I thought nothing that liked to read would kill me on sight, you know?"

"I'm not sure that's entirely true, but..."

"Anyway, it's not just that. It's just... uh... okay, I'll show you."

She took a few steps away from him and looked around as if she was measuring distances and watching out for onlookers. Galamoth started to wonder if this was going to be something embarrassing.

"I... I do ice magic. Did. My whole life. But... uh..."

Galamoth understood the significance of her outfit's color now. "It's not one of my specialties, but I think I know enough about it to help."

"Are you sure... uh... um... okay, I'll show you... but... I'll do it now."

She took another step away and then turned around in a circle, lifting her arms into the air. As Galamoth watches, she started to summon a great deal of magical energy into her hands. She started off really well, he had to admit. Once she had gathered what seemed to be enough power, she closed one of her hands and held the other one, fingers spread apart, toward a nondescript wall. As she did, a large wave of ice flew from her fingertips. The room started to feel considerably chillier, and large shards started to branch off from the wave to widen its area of effect. Eventually the spell slammed into the opposite wall, freezing it instantly.

The effect was more powerful than Galamoth would have expected from a former human of her age. If she was worried that she was unskilled, this didn't...

Wait. He noticed something that could pose a problem. Thinking fast, he reached out and grabbed her non-casting arm. His hand was large enough to enclose it fully from shoulder to fingers.

She yelled out in pain. He decided not to squeeze so hard, but he didn't let go. Eventually he could feel her arm relax in his grip. As it did so, the other hand stopped producing ice, allowing the rest of the wave to finish its task, completely covering the wall with a sheet of ice.

She looked up at him with sad eyes. "You see, um, I..."

He released her arm slowly. "You possess a great deal of magic power and appear to summon and control it quite easily. I think you will make a fine ice witch."

She blinked. "Really... but..."

"You need to learn one thing, though. Once you have reached the desired level of magical power, you need to relax your other arm. The way you were casting, that arm continued to draw magic power without slowing. If I hadn't grabbed it, your spell could have overloaded and..."

He trailed off as he noticed that she had fallen to the floor in tears. He started to consider what had just happened. "Did I hurt your arm? It was not my intent. I was trying to..."

"No... not that... it was horrible... I just... a few days ago..."

Galamoth had no idea how to handle this. Most of the demons he knew weren't prone to emotional outbursts. "Calm yourself. Tell me what happened."

She tried to hold back her tears. "I said I was new here... yeah... very new. I got in yesterday."

Galamoth had wondered why he hadn't seen her before. "Something bad happened, I take it."

"I'm not... I shouldn't be a demon. I was good at magic. My family loved me... they supported me... let me learn more. The village liked me... accepted me for what I was... they would never hurt me... not like you keep hearing."

She had a point, he thought. It seemed like too many witches were being persecuted in those days. "That sounds ideal."

She took a breath. "My tutor taught me a new spell. Another ice one... a lot more powerful... the one you just saw..."

The one she had trouble stopping. It was becoming obvious where this was going.

"I think I understand. You do not have to..."

She burst into tears again. "Nobody could understand that! The spell... it grew too strong... it... it killed me... and my family... and everyone else... it's all my fault!"

"Everyone else? The spell's range should not have been that large."

"Large enough! At least six houses worth! The survivors probably think I betrayed them all!" She was becoming hysterical at this point.

"That may not..."

"Look at me! I'm a demon now! The grim reaper recommended me personally! You know, the guys who are killing humanity and everything!"

He winced at this. "We are engaged in war. They..."

"They don't even call me by my name! They renamed me! Frozen Half? They don't even care about who I am! They only care about how I slaughtered everyone with ice, and how I'm really..."

She couldn't finish her sentence before she collapsed in tears again.

Galamoth was unsure how to respond to this. Without being able to go to the surface, he had never had any exposure to what humans thought of the current conflict. Truly, they must have thought the demons were monsters. And here was some living proof: a former human who was about to have a nervous breakdown simply because she thought everyone was going to think of her the same way.

He had to help her. He just didn't know how to do it.

"Excuse me."

She didn't reply. She continued to cry.

"Frozen Half!" he snapped.

She stopped to glare at him. If nothing else, it got her looking upward again. "Don't call me that!"

"Do you not wish to be an ice witch?"

She took a deep breath. "Not... not if it makes me a murderer..."

"What is your name?" he asked in a softer tone.

"Rebecca."

He smiled. "I will call you Rebecca, then. My name is Galamoth."

"Galamoth?"

"You are not a monster. I can tell just by listening to you. We are not monsters, either. You will learn what we are soon enough. Give it time."

She hesitated. "A... are you sure? All those people..."

He shook his head. "It may sound cruel, but there is no way to change what happened. If you worry that the others will judge you, then you need to do something to make them judge you differently. The past is fixed. You must focus on what you can do now."

Galamoth started to wonder if he was spending too much time in the library. He had never thought of himself as wise in any manner, and certainly not any kind of expert on advice. Nevertheless, she seemed to be feeling better.

He grasped her gently with one hand and lifted her to her feet. He had found that most demons didn't like it when he did that, but he thought that it helped to accentuate his speech.

"And what we can do now is make sure that this never happens again. We can help you. If you learn to relax your arm, I am certain you will have full control."

She looked him in the eyes. "You... you think so?"

"I meant what I said. You are a talented spellcaster. Your village believed in you. I think that we can as well."

"...I hope you're right."

"We meet again in a few days if you are willing to join us."

"I would like that."

"But for now", he said, slowly standing up, "I would like to get back to my reading. I hope I have helped you."

She smiled at him. "You have. Thank you again."

Satisfied at the outcome of the events, Galamoth headed for the hallway back to the main room. His route took him directly next to the wall against which she had demonstrated her talents. The icy layer was still cold, and he couldn't help but shiver slightly. She really was as powerful as he thought.

A sudden thought occurred to him.

"Would you like to come with me?"

She shook her head. "Not now. Maybe another time."

"I understand."

And he left, pondering the speech he had just made and wondering at exactly what point he had started welcoming reading company.


	5. Gift Horse

**Chapter 5: Gift Horse**

_Rebecca's fears were just as unjustified as I had hoped. The other magicians welcomed her and assisted her. The tense arm problem was remedied quickly, and it wasn't long at all before she was teaching the same spell to novice spellcasters who were interested in learning it._

Galamoth sat with his back against the wall of the room and watched the witches discuss certain topics among themselves. Only a few were magic-related.

He didn't know if it was because they had a common interest or if they retained their bonds from being human, but he enjoyed seeing a group like that working together so well and accomplishing so much. It was rather tragic. If humans could have been more accepting of people like that and had devoted some effort to cultivating their efforts, they could have been using their talents for the common good long before they had a chance to become demons.

Then again, he realized, that would have given the enemy a powerful weapon to use against his kind.

* * *

Sometimes, Galamoth thinks, the things that catch his interest are not the things that actually matter to anyone else.

He looks back through the last few pages he has written. Most of the text is devoted to the witches. He had written about smithing before that, and reading, and he had detailed a number of his conversations.

Surprisingly few of the words are about the war. That's what the demons really wanted to know about, he supposes. Surely he had to have some stories about his involvement with the war effort and Dracula and the actual history of hell.

Galamoth sighs. Perhaps if there had been more involvement to begin with. It would have been very different, Galamoth thinks, if he had actually been ordered to fight. It's very hard to remember gossip and the suits of armor he produced.

The casualties? They were a joke. Every time a war was going on, he would keep hearing some of the demons telling each other about how they had been killed this time. It's very hard to have any emotional investment when you are guaranteed full returns.

Compromise, he decides. He fills in the facts he remembers.

_The war effort went downhill again. Dracula had made a deliberate attempt to corrupt the son of the Belmont who had almost killed him previously. While initially successful, this action blew his cover, and the Belmont was able to storm his hiding place and kill him._

_The portal was once again closed, and the war was yet again on hiatus. Thanatos was becoming testy again, and his actions afterward suggested that he was concerned with Dracula's resurrection process. Almost assuredly, he was hoping for a way to speed it up._

_Once again, this cut off the literature supply and reduced the need for metalwork, so I was once again finding myself out of things to do. Sometimes it felt like socia_

Galamoth stops writing suddenly. He can hear a conversation in the main room.

"...just appeared a few moments ago."

"Really? I thought most of them gave up on summoning."

"Looks high-quality. They put some effort into this one."

"Hey, look at the inscriptions. Heh. They want Death."

Galamoth smiles to himself. Thanatos has not been seen in a long time. Things are different now. These summoners are going to be disappointed.

"We should inform the lords about this."

"What about Galamoth? This might interest him."

"He said he didn't want to be disturbed. Wait till he shows up. Then we'll tell him."

Fair enough, he thinks. He wants to finish his task before he does anything he might regret. He had been taught the importance of having a backup plan. Right now, he is writing one.

Where did he leave off?

_Sometimes it felt like socializing was the only option, and I found myself doing that considerably more often._

_And when I least expected it, a new opportunity was given to me, and this time I felt like I truly deserved it._

* * *

_It started innocently enough._

"Galamoth?"

He looked up from his reading. "Rebecca."

She walked into the library with a smile on her face and her arms behind her back. "I was just thinking. You helped me so much when I first got here, and I feel like I've never really made it up to you."

He shook his head. "That isn't necessary. You asked for my assistance, and I offered it."

"Yeah, but I could tell I was kinda annoying you back then."

She was, but he had long since forgiven her for it. "Perhaps a little."

"Anyway, I wanted to give you this."

She held out her arms, and what looked to be a small blunt instrument of some kind. Galamoth appraised it quickly. It was about two feet long, which meant that it fit in the palm of his hand and probably would not be very effective as a weapon.

He looked up at Rebecca again. "What is this?"

"When I was growing up, my tutors said I should use this. It's a scepter. It helps focus magic energy without needing too much control from the caster. I guess it's kinda a magic crutch."

"I have a great deal of experience in magic. I don't need this."

"Yeah, but I was thinking about it and I realized I don't need it anymore either. Especially since... you know, moving on from my past and all. So I figured I'd give it to someone else, and you were the first one to come to mind."

He turned it over in his hand. "But this would be more useful in the hand of a novice magician. Or someone who could wield it as a weapon."

She rolled her eyes. "I know. Really, I just want you to have it."

He stared. "As... a gift?"

"Yeah. You know, so you can look at it and remember that time you helped me. That way you'll never forget me and all."

"They tell me that I have a very good memory."

"Aww, you're no fun when you're like that. Just hold onto it." She turned and headed for the exit. "If nothing else, you can give it to one of the novices later."

Galamoth looked at the scepter again, feeling like he had missed something important in the conversation.

* * *

He remembers that scepter very well. He hasn't thought about it in a long time. Why was that? He remembers that it had been taken to the forge, and then he never saw it again. Knowing the forge demons, he figures it was mistaken for part of the output, delivered directly to the armory and later given to one of the others during wartime. In the middle of a war, things like that get lost. It truly was a shame.

Still, it had been very useful to him, and he had liked it for three main reasons. The first, he had discovered that day when he tried to figure out what exactly the scepter did.

_It seemed simple enough. Grasp the scepter with two fingers, focus my magic energy slightly, and see what came out._

_The result was a small blast of ice. I should have expected that. All the evidence suggested that she was specifically raised as an ice specialist. I started to wonder if there was a reason for it, and if she could have spent her life using a different kind of magic had she been trained differently. It was around the time that I was speculating what her human family must have been like when I realized that I was doing so._

_When my thoughts stopped wandering a few moments later, I gazed again at the scepter. Were those thoughts one of its side effects? Was it truly the memento she said it was? Or did Rebecca's story truly affect me so much that I couldn't stop thinking about her tragedy?_

Even without the scepter, he would have never forgotten about her. She was the kind of person that he never intends to forget. Even a demon who didn't remember conversations for centuries would have problems not thinking about her. The way she...

Next page. Now.

_There was some truth to my thoughts. I would not discover it for a long time, because it was the next day that I discovered a second advantage that came from owning the scepter._

* * *

"Hey, Gally!" shouted a large sword-wielding demon as he approached Galamoth's position. "What's that you're holding?"

"It's a magic scepter. Rebecca gave it to me."

"The Frozen Half? Wow, that was really nice."

Galamoth held it where the demon could see it better. "You think so?"

"Yeah. I mean, look at it. It's technology designed to aid magic. You can't say those humans never have any good ideas. I know a bunch of people who really wish they had something like that."

"I don't know. I probably shouldn't just give it away."

Another demon entered the conversation. "What are you talking about?"

The sword wielder gestured to Galamoth. "Not much. Gally just received a gift."

"He did? You know, I remember back in the day, he kept saying that he didn't have a possession to his name."

Interesting. Galamoth hadn't thought about that detail. He smiled. "When you put it that way, I guess having something to call my own is a nice feeling."

"That's it! I just had a brilliant idea!"

"What?"

"You should go to the arena. You're a tough fighter, right?"

Galamoth nodded. "It's been a century since I last fought, but I don't think I've forgotten my training."

"I'm sure they'll take that thing as a wager."

Galamoth looked at the demon incredulously, then at the scepter. He had heard about the arena many times. It appealed to him. Was this his ticket?

"Are you sure about this? I think she wanted me to have it."

The demon shrugged. "Hey, you'll only lose it if you lose."

"I don't know."

His opinion was quickly disregarded by a number of other demons who had been nearby and happened to overhear everything.

"Personally, I just want to see him fight."

"Really?"

"Look at his build! He's gotta be stronger than anybody in there! Don't tell me you ain't interested in seeing what he can do!"

"How much can he lift again?"

"Dunno, but the forge guys were impressed."

Galamoth sighed. He had completely lost control of the conversation.

"You know the fast ones are gonna run circles around him."

"It doesn't matter if he gets them first."

"That would be a match to see."

"You're telling me! I think I'd pay to see him fight!"

"What do you think of that, Gally? You already got some fans!"

What could he do in the face of such enthusiasm? Even he had to admit that this was starting to not sound like such a bad idea.

_The arena was pretty much like every other chamber of hell, except considerably larger and with a makeshift ring in the center. It certainly seemed like a popular place to hang out, and I couldn't help but wonder why I had never gone in before. Then I remembered why._

"The arena has an audience?" Galamoth asked one of his entourage, gesturing to the demons that were already standing around.

"Of course. Half the fun is watching everyone else fight."

Galamoth could only shake his head in disbelief. He had been so concerned about the price of being a fighter that he had never considered the possibility of just watching. Still, it looked like this was going to change very soon.

He looked at the fight that was occurring in the middle. And hesitated.

"I think I want to watch a few matches before I wager anything."

The demon turned to him in surprise. "You're not afraid, are you?"

"I have no knowledge of the rules."

"Ah. A good point."

* * *

Galamoth starts to wish that he had taken notes. The arena has changed its rules several times during the past four centuries, and he has trouble remembering which ones would have been in effect in those times.

Each demon wagered something, and the battle began when both agreed to the amount. Normal fights were won by incapacitation, counted as five seconds of motionlessness, or by ringout, touching a body part outside the twenty-five foot diameter ring.

Those were normal fights. They had special rules for other types of demons. If the match was between two flying demons, they would call that touching a wall, ceiling or floor counted as a loss. For zombies, they had to draw the line at a certain level of dismemberment, as it was impossible to call any of the parts incapacitated and matches ended too soon if arms leaving the ring counted as a loss.

The demon in charge was known as the arenamaster, a strong physical fighter of wereanimal form. He once told Galamoth that he originally came up with the idea after watching a brawl break out in the main room and realizing that the battlers were not only entertaining to watch, but could not actually accomplish anything against immortal opponents. Thus, by starting the arena, he moved the fighting out of the way of the main room and made it organized and lucrative.

He was often open to new ideas, Galamoth recalls. Good thing, too.

* * *

_Finally, I felt like I was ready to try my luck._

"Present the wager", the arenamaster said as Galamoth entered the central area for the first time. On cue, he handed his scepter over.

"A magic talisman of human design. Apparently structured to aid in the casting of ice spells. Who is willing to wager against this?"

The group was hesitant. Finally, a demon that resembled a unicorn-man stepped forward and handed a small bag of money to the master demon. Standing next to Galamoth, he came up to his waist, which was larger than many of the demons in the area. The arenamaster was now the smallest demon in the ring. This did not seem to distract him.

The arenamaster counted the contents of the bag. "100 gold coins." He looked to Galamoth, who nodded. "Move to the center of the ring. I will give the signal to begin the fight."

If Galamoth had not been so interested in competing, he might have noticed one key strategic aspect of the arena design. The ring was about 25 feet in diameter. He was in excess of 30 feet tall. In short, a knockdown would guarantee his loss.

He took a fighting stance, and then realized the trouble in which he had gotten himself. Between his feet, he covered half of the ring's width.

This would not be Galamoth's chosen style of fighting, he realized. To accomplish anything, he would have to essentially remain motionless for the entire battle. As he wondered what he had gotten himself into, the arenamaster gave the signal to begin.

The unicorn went for an immediate lunging punch. Galamoth blocked it with his open palm and swiped at him with his other arm. The unicorn ducked to the side and attempted to kick the reptile with a spinning hoof. This caught him in the leg and caused him to react, but it did not knock him off balance. Recovering, he attempted to grab the unicorn with one hand. As soon as he was grasped, the unicorn bit the reptile's hand, who released him immediately in recoil. The instant he hit the ground, the unicorn leapt toward Galamoth with intent to strike him in the chest. Surprised by the two moves in quick succession, Galamoth prepared to block, taking a step backward to brace for impact.

He was interrupted by the arenamaster's voice. "Galamoth is out! Amducias wins!" The one step had been sufficient to put him outside the ring.

_I grumbled at my bad fortune, and wondered if I really had a hope of winning a match in a ring that I could cross entirely in two small steps. Even worse, I had just lost the scepter. Too quickly. I had been a fool to think that I could have used it to turn a profit._

_My disappointment was soon drowned out by the complaints of the crowd. I should have expected backlash_.

"You call that a match?"

"That ring is too small!"

"We want to see a real fight!"

"I've waited decades to see Galamoth in here!"

"Oh yeah? I think Amducias can still take him!"

"Do it again! No ringouts!"

The arenamaster did not blink. "Match decisions are final."

Silence filled the arena. It was shortly followed by the nearly inaudible sound of small pieces of metal striking each other.

One of the demons from the audience held them out to be seen. "I'll give you five gold coins if you give us a rematch without ringouts being counted."

Another moment of silence. Then the arena erupted in voices.

"Me too!"

"I'll join in on that."

As the demons continued to express their interest, Galamoth was dumbfounded by the events. He knew that he had undertaken a large amount of battle training, but he had no idea that the others were that interested in his ability. Then again, he thought, his opponent may have been popular as well. He certainly hadn't been a pushover in the ring.

The arenamaster motioned for him and the demon he had called Amducias to return to the center of the ring. "Huh... they really want to see you two fight."

Amducias shrugged. "I don't want to lose everything I wagered just because they want to dispute my win."

Galamoth looked at him. "I'm willing to do a wagerless match."

"I don't know. It's no fun to fight if we can't win anything."

The arenamaster piped in. "We've got about six hundred coins worth saying they want to see this fight. I'll cut you a deal. Fifty to both of you, I'll take two-fifty, and the rest will go to the winner. No ringout, just incapacitation."

Amducias visibly smiled at this. Galamoth, seeing this, decided to push his luck. "Throw in the scepter and we have a deal."

The unicorn nodded. "I'll agree to that."

The arenamaster raised his voice again. "It's been decided! Five coins to see a no-ringout match between these two!" This proposal was met with cheers.

Once everything was counted and paid, the audience was a fair bit smaller, so the arenamaster had everyone move to the outside of the room to give the fighters enough room to battle without interference.

The arenamaster gave the signal, and the match began. Now that they were able to move around freely during the fight, Galamoth could see some of the major differences between himself and Amducias. The unicorn was smaller, of course, and it was unlikely that he was used to being the smaller fighter in a match. He was pretty fast on his hooves for his size, though, and the previous fight had definitively proven that his attacks were enough to hurt Galamoth. Galamoth was slower, but he was convinced that his attacks had more power behind them, and that he would have a definite advantage in grappling should the match come to that. Also, he would be considerably more difficult to knock down, although he would be slower to get up.

Finally, Amducias made the first move, and one Galamoth hadn't expected. He charged up his magic power and shot a bolt of lightning at the reptile.

Lightning, Galamoth noted. A pushover. He forcibly redirected it away before it could hit him. Seeing that Amducias didn't expect this, he sent the bolt back toward him. The unicorn recovered quickly, though, and he was able to stop it from striking him as well. The battle of willpower had begun. The bolt remained halfway between the two, never making progress toward either opponent.

Galamoth made the next move. He weakened his control enough to allow the bolt to slowly approach him, while redirecting his focus on compressing it. By the time the lightning had reached his position, it had been compacted into ball lightning. In this form, it was easy for him to grasp it with one hand. Holding the ball of electrical power as if it was a small toy, he looked up at Amducias again. Once their eyes met, he smirked. The unicorn smirked back.

Staying at the ready in case he tried something, Galamoth casually tossed the ball of lightning at his opponent. He caught it easily, looked at it, and then made it dissipate. They had reached an unspoken agreement. They could both handle lightning easily. There was no need to fight using it.

* * *

At this point, Galamoth reaches an obstacle. The rest of the fight had gone on for several minutes, and there is no way that he can possibly remember it well enough to give a detailed blow-by-blow description.

He remembers how it ended. Amducias had charged at him. He had ducked and slid to the side in a manner that allowed him to grab the unicorn's leg, use his momentum to swing him around several times and pick up speed, and then whip his head directly into the ground. He had failed to rise from that, and Galamoth had left the arena considerably wealthier and with the scepter in his hand again.

He wonders what Rebecca would have said if she had found out what he had been doing with her gift.

Since that day, he had fought in that arena many times. Most of his opponents were expected to hold to the no-ringout rule that had become associated with him, but eventually the demons seemed less interested in trying to defeat him. This was solved by making a deal with the arenamaster in which he would take on all fighters, wagering 50 of his own coins against 20 of anyone who challenged him. He ended up losing some of those matches, but won enough to turn a profit.

He considers that he may have been responsible for changing the way the arena battles were structured. He dismisses the thought quickly. Knowing the arenamaster, it probably changed every time a new popular competitor arrived.

_The important detail was that I finally had some wealth of my own, and there were a few things that I was thinking about doing with those coins._


	6. Possessions

**Chapter 6: Possessions**

_It had been a century since Dracula's most recent appearance. This time, Thanatos had some additional news for the demons._

"After speaking with Lord Dracula, it has become apparent that he does not intend to abandon his war. Until the humans have been fully punished, the conflicts will continue. It is also our agreement that, in all future offensives, I will be assisting him directly on the front line.

"This means that there will be periods of time where I will not be fulfilling my leadership duties here. In light of this, I am considering establishing a hierarchy so that the underworld will not fall into disarray in my absence.

"My official decision will be made shortly. Continue as you were." With this, he left.

There had almost been a hierarchy before. At the very least, there were demons that everyone held in higher regard than others, and they would often defer to them. If nothing else, Thanatos's decision would make it official.

After Thanatos's departure, Galamoth slowly stood up and headed in the direction of the forge. He knew what would happen next. More quotas. More work. It was almost becoming rote by now. He knew that he was good at it, but...

He had just heard someone say his name. Curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to take a roundabout route and find out who was talking about him.

It was not a hard conversation to follow. A number of imps were squeaking to each other about the upcoming hierarchy plan.

"Are you sure? Galamoth?"

"He's strong. He's respectable. You could do much worse."

"But a lord? I always thought of him as a follower. It's not like he's ever tried to push us around."

A slightly wary voice. "That's a bad mental image."

"What's that?"

"Look at him, walking over there." Galamoth was smart enough to not make eye contact with the group. "Could you imagine him wielding that kind of power? What if he tried to usurp the leadership? Could anyone stop him?"

"You don't think Death can?"

"Well, not if he's off at war."

"Everyone else could always gang up on him. Remember the fleaman?"

"I don't think I know that one."

"Well, it _was_ a while back."

"That takes me back. It's hard to believe he's the same guy now."

The hesitant one spoke again. "Death was there. He saw it firsthand. I'm saying, there's no way he'll risk it happening again."

"Maybe. We'll have to see."

"If you're right, it's a shame. Everyone really seems to like him."

"Don't dismiss him yet. He might put him in a lower position. A confidant to a lord, or something like that."

"You'd think. You'd also think he'd get a clue and order him to duty already."

"No kidding. He looks like he could win the war by himself."

"Hey, don't get carried away. Dracula lost, too."

"Oh, yeah."

And the conversation trailed off to other potential lords in the room.

Galamoth had been thinking about whether or not he was lord material, admittedly. All of the demons were like that today. But he hadn't really considered the pros and cons of it, and those arguments were not particularly reassuring.

The lower rank idea sounded appealing. He had often tried to help the demons, directly and indirectly, and they liked him for it. Maybe he could make a name for himself helping another lord. Given the right kind, he could certainly accomplish something. He didn't think he was the type to take charge, anyway.

And suddenly, there was the thought that he had been dreading. If you aren't the kind to take charge, _why did you ever come here_? You can't lead an army across the void of space, brainwash a population and make an effort to seize a planet for your own, and then tell people that you aren't capable of ruling over them!

He could still hear the imp's voice in his head. _Could you imagine him wielding that kind of power? What if he tried to usurp the leadership? Could anyone stop him?_

Someone already had. And now it felt like everyone was trying to convince him that he should have never tried. Including himself.

What had this place done to him? And was it for the better or for the worse?

Before he could think of an answer to his question, he suddenly thought about something he had noticed during Thanatos's speech.

* * *

Galamoth prepares a new blank sheet of paper.

The next day's events and their consequences had been completely unexpected. Could he have prevented it? Probably. Would he do it differently if he had the chance? He doesn't know. There is something to be said for trying new things, and nothing had actually caused him any long-term problems. In several ways, it may have even helped.

He starts writing again.

_I wanted a straightforward answer this time, so I visited one of the succubi and asked her directly._

_"Why do you wear clothing?"_

In retrospect, he thinks, maybe he could have predicted the outcome.

* * *

The succubus looked at him with a sly smile on her lips. "I can certainly remove it if you want me to."

Galamoth didn't react. "I am not propositioning you. I just want to know why demons like you do so if you..."

She frowned after the first sentence, but the smile returned in time for her interruption. "So you don't want me to figure out what's wrong with you?"

"What do you mean, wrong with me?"

"Some of the others were talking about it. They said you're completely... unattainable. It's too bad." She pressed her hand against his leg. "A fine specimen like you..."

Galamoth glared at her. "If you will not answer my question, I have no business with you."

Her smile didn't waver. "We wouldn't want that. Here, I'll make you an offer. You let me give you a try and I'll answer all the questions you want."

He looked at her suspiciously. "I seek good answers. If you are going to be distracted..."

She interrupted in a more matter-of-fact voice. "You asked why I wear clothing. From the context, I assume you are referring to us succubi in general. The truth is that it makes us more alluring to mortals."

As he stared at what she might have called an outburst, she slipped back into her softer tone. "That wasn't enough detail for you. I can tell. You may keep asking questions if you like. Oh, and sit down, if you would."

After a moment's worth of hesitation, he did so. She slowly approached him. "And yet you don't cover everything", he said.

She ran her hands over his lower leg a few times, then lifted one of her own legs in order to straddle it. "That's right. Covering everything would be missing the point." She laid her hands on his knee, which he lifted, pressing his foot against the floor.

"I still don't see why you prefer that to nudity."

With surprising strength in her upper arms, she pushed against his knee and brought her body into a handstand over his knee. She continued to turn forward until she landed, straddling his upper leg.

"It's a simple concept", she said. "By wearing clothing, I bring more attention to the parts of my body that are not covered." She punctuated this by pressing her hands against the sides of her fully-exposed breasts. They bounced slightly.

Galamoth nodded, but gave no indication if he liked what he saw. "So this works better than pure nudity, then?"

"You have to understand human mentality", she said, and pitched forward. Her bosom landed on his thigh, and as she released her grip with her legs, her entire body gently slid down the scales into what would have been the side of his crotch, if he had only been mammalian in nature.

"Nudity is seen as a show of beauty or sex appeal. It appeals to their animal instincts." As she said this, she rolled to the side until she was sprawled on the ground with a full view of the space between his legs. "And since I actually wear something, they realize that anything I do not cover is deliberate. Could you lean back slightly?"

Galamoth looked down at her for a second, then followed her instructions. "If it's so attractive to them, why would they ever wear clothes?"

This, he did not expect her to try. She started sliding herself forward on her belly, using her limbs against the ground to provide forward momentum, and tried to squeeze herself under his abdomen. "Some say it's to keep them warm." After a few seconds, her entire upper body was pressed tightly between the floor and his cloaca. He felt her hands grip the sides and pull downward. "However, it's pretty obvious to me that they just want to think they're civilized, so they dismiss such concepts as awkward."

He felt part of her trying to press into the opening. Foolish, he thought. She would be too tall and too wide around to get more than a single limb inside.

After a few attempts, she stopped pressing, and he heard her take a deep breath. "They feel more important when they are dressed, you know."

And suddenly, he couldn't feel her on the outside of his body, and the weight inside his cloaca had increased greatly. He winced in realization, if not discomfort. "She didn't..." he muttered. Eventually she stopped moving around so much, and then he felt no movement at all.

He feared the worst. "Are you okay?" he ventured.

"Were you going to ask another question?" From within, he could feel poking, as if she was trying to get his attention.

His eyes widened. She could still hear him? "What... what was the last answer you gave again?"

He didn't see her smirk, but he could practically feel it. "Humans like to wear clothes to pretend that it makes them more civilized. Pay attention."

"...right", he responded, trying to get more comfortable with the current situation. "Do you believe that the same thing applies to demons?"

And he felt her move around, this time in small movements. It felt like she hadn't planned what she was doing, but was doing it anyway. He could also feel something soft pressing against him from inside...

"Very rarely. I figure anyone around here who wears clothing is a former human or deals with humans on a regular basis, like I do." The motions slowly came to a stop. "Well, I think I've done all I can. Could you stand up for me?"

He nodded, a needless gesture given the situation, and once again rose to his feet. As he did, she lithely slid back out of his body, none the worse for wear. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like from her perspective.

Now that he could see her again, she looked different. She was about one-third of the height she had been at when she started, and there were black bat-like wings coming out of her back.

She looked up at his expression, then gave him her smile. "Had to make a few adjustments to get anything done." In a brief display of magic, she returned to her normal height. "I could even come up there if you like", she added with a wink.

Galamoth just stared at her. "...not now."

The succubus sighed. "I figured you'd say that. You didn't react to a thing, even after I found what I was looking for. I just couldn't get it to budge. Well, a bit when I flapped my wings, but that's probably a result of the wind pressure." She looked at his confused expression, and smiled again. "Anyway, I hope you got the answers you wanted. Thank you for letting me try that."

She had answered his questions, hadn't she? And now that he was thinking about her answers, he was starting to form a theory.

He knelt down before her and gave her his own smile. "That was a far better answer than I was expecting. Thank you very much for your time."

She shrugged dismissively. "Please. My job takes a lot more intelligence than it looks."

And he left, once again wondering why these succubi kept treating him like there was something wrong with him.

* * *

Thanatos made good on his promises. Many of the demons headed off to battle, and a small section of the main room was put aside for the safe keeping of a piece of parchment that revealed the current hierarchy.

The structure was less complicated than most had anticipated. At the top was Thanatos, although at least one demon suggested in a snide voice that you could put Dracula above his name without much criticism. Next down were the lords; they were limited to seven at this time, and they were the important ones anyway.

There were no lesser lords of any kind. That was the end of the list. Anyone else in the room was simply a demon. Galamoth could not convince himself to get very upset about this. He had known better than to get his hopes up.

"What the hell? That's stupid!"

He turned to face the demon who had just made the outburst. He was not particularly notable, and Galamoth had to wonder why he would have gotten so upset.

He found out quickly.

"Galamoth! Why the hell are you still here?"

Galamoth looked around. "I can't use the portal."

"Not that! Someone must have seen you in the arena! You were kicking ass! You could wipe the floor with any of us! So _why aren't you up there fighting the Belmonts?_ I thought we wanted to _win_ this war!"

Galamoth shrugged. "I work the forge. I always have."

The demon threw its hands up. "That's crap! At this rate, you're gonna be rotting in there for eternity!" It gestured at the paper. "Nice new hierarchy, huh? Let me know when it gets a clue, will ya?" And it stormed off.

Galamoth stared at the departing demon for a few moments. Then he turned back to the hierarchy. He looked at the names on the list. Then, without another word, he turned and headed to the library.

Time was of the essence. He started with the Egyptian texts. If nothing else, he desired consistency.

* * *

Galamoth sets down his pen and takes a look at himself again. There isn't that much of a difference, is there? If he gets himself in the right mindset first, he can still lead himself to believe that it had a chance of working.

He picks up the pen again. _The waiting wasn't the hardest part, but it was still tedious. I spent plenty of time rereading the other texts I had researched, as well as counting my gold coins to make sure that I had enough._

_Finally, I was informed that my chosen assistant had returned from the portal. This was fortunate. Too many times, I had worried that he could have been discovered and killed in battle, and that would have cost me a lot of time._

_It was a very large delivery, so I had chosen one of the larger demons for the task. As he brought my requested goods, I took the time to inventory them. After deciding that they were enough for the task, I paid him for his services and took the large bales of flax._

_I wouldn't have much of a chance to work with them yet. There would be more time after the war ended._

If Galamoth remembers his mentality correctly, this was the time when he was starting to become jaded about the wars. He can't blame himself. They would largely go the same way every time. Dracula would recruit his minions and they would go on the offense. Eventually a member of the Belmont clan would head directly to Dracula's stronghold to confront him and his lieutenants directly. And, almost undoubtedly, Dracula would lose the conflict, at which point the portal would be closed and most of the demons would be banished back to hell.

Still, he thinks, it would have been much less interesting if not for Thanatos and his backup plans. This had been no exception.

"Dracula has placed a debilitating curse on the Belmont", he had announced after the demons had been brought home. "He will die shortly, and his bloodline will end."

Other demons weren't immediately enthusiastic. One asked if there was any chance that the Belmont could remove the curse. Thanatos had thought of that, and he pointed out that he knew of no methods that didn't involve resurrecting Dracula, so any possible remedy would aid the demons as well.

Galamoth had thought it was an interesting plan, even if he had his suspicions that it wouldn't work. Still, he thought, give it a chance.

He had more pressing concerns at the time anyway. No matter how inconsequential they were.

* * *

Galamoth headed back into the forge, this time carrying a pouch full of gold. "I'm ready to collect on your promise."

The forgemaster raised an eyebrow. "My promise was that you could use the forge if you provided the metal yourself. This has not changed. I cannot sell the metal."

Galamoth had expected this misunderstanding. "No. I will be using the gold as my metal."

The other eyebrow raised to match the first. "Gold is not very strong. You know this. It is soft, bends easily and is inferior to other metals in battle."

"I am not making this for battle."

"I don't understand what you plan to do, but you may certainly use the forge."

The gold coins were not very large, so Galamoth had to use an expensive amount of them for his intent. He had made some estimates while he was waiting, and while the final sum was rather wasteful, he felt that it was not going to be any trouble to replace that amount in the arena.

After he finished his forging, he headed back to where he had stored the flax. He had read up on the process and done a bit of practice work, but he knew that he was no expert at the craft. Still, he had the materials and he wasn't going to give up yet. He had even considered getting a smaller demon to assist him on the finer details, but decided against it. He had enough time to eliminate any flaws he came across, and he didn't want the plan to be revealed too soon.

All told, the project took just over a month.

* * *

_I had no idea if this would work or not. I also realized that, considering recent events, it might make me look like I was trying too hard. In the end, I tried it anyway. I had spent the effort and I wasn't about to let it go to waste._

_After fastening the belt and tying the cloth, I strode forth into the main room._

_Everyone who noticed just stared at me. If nothing else, it attracted attention._

Galamoth prepares a blank sheet of paper and starts making an effort at art. At the same time, he thinks about what had convinced him to try this.

When Thanatos had made the speech that day, he had noticed that the lord was wearing a different cloak design from before. It wasn't a significant change, but it made him wonder why Thanatos had bothered with the change. Very few of the demons wore anything, after all.

The succubus had given him a theory. Dracula was Thanatos's direct superior, and he had been a human once. Also, many of the demons who had been made lords possessed outfits of their own. This may not have been a coincidence.

Galamoth shakes his head. Somehow, he had managed to convince himself that the trick to getting their attention was to design an outfit and wear it.

He finishes the drawing and looks at it. He is not a great artist, but the design is clear. It made him look just like a hieroglyph that he would expect to find on a pyramid wall. He wore what appeared to be a traditional Egyptian outfit, only tailored to his size and minimalist enough to heighten his nonhuman appearance. The loincloth was made of linen and lined with gold, and a golden belt attached it to his waist. By design, the cloth closed in the back, but not in the front; it was kept in place in the back by being tied to a pair of golden kneepads he had forged. He also forged six bracers: two were worn as anklets, two as wristbands, and two were clasped around his arms just above the elbow.

It was admittedly gaudy, but it matched Egyptian tastes and it looked particularly interesting against his skin color. Sobek would have been proud.

Too bad, he thinks as he sighs. No one else was.

* * *

Having gained no useful feedback from the stunned silence, he opted to sit down in an unoccupied area and wait for someone else to start a conversation.

"I... take it this is what you were asking me about back then." He looked up to see the succubus from before. Her smile was replaced by a bemused grin.

He nodded. "Essentially."

"I can't say I expected you to do something like this. Ever."

"You don't like it?"

"I'll let you know when I get over the shock."

Galamoth looked down at himself. "I can only guess that means it doesn't look natural."

The succubus shook her head. "Not in the slightest. Giant dragon things don't usually dress up."

Galamoth sighed. "I suppose that was part of the point."

"Really? Enlighten me."

"Imagine you're a new demon, introduced to hell, and you saw me the way I normally look. What would you have concluded about me?"

The succubus smiled. "I was actually in that situation, you know."

"Oh? What did you think then?"

"The usual. You were a giant dragon thing that shouldn't be messed with if I valued my life."

"And what would you have thought if you saw me wearing this?"

She smirked. "That I shouldn't mess with you if I valued my sanity."

Galamoth rolled his eyes. "Very funny. Be serious."

She hopped up onto his thigh and rested her arm on a kneepad. "All right. You tell me what you want them to think and I'll tell you if it works."

He took a breath. "I'm still a 'giant dragon thing'. Nothing I do will hide that. But the fact that I'm wearing clothing at all proves that I'm civilized. The outfit is Egyptian in style. I must have been wealthy to be able to use that much gold, and the fact that it is form-fitting suggests that it was made specifically for me. The bracers should prove that I am interested in battle, and they still show the arms and legs so people can see my build..."

"And the absence of any covering in the front proves that you have nothing there", she added in a mocking tone.

She'd know, he thought. "Your point?"

She gave him an even look. "I understand your logic, but I can't really say that this outfit is your style. Personally, I like you better natural and fearsome."

He sighed at this.

She ran her hands over the kneepad, feeling the contours. "It's ornate, though. If you crafted this, this is very good work."

Galamoth tried to take comfort in this. It didn't help.

"I could see someone else wearing something like this", she continued. "Smaller, of course. I'd say they were shamelessly showing off, though."

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "You think I'm showing off?"

"That list of reasons sure sounded like it. This is really odd for you. You always used to give me the impression that you didn't care what anyone..."

Galamoth's hand was starting to ache. He winced from the pain, and then realized that the succubus had trailed off in mid-sentence and was no longer sitting on his leg.

Opening his eyes, he discovered why. She had backed away slowly and was staring at him silently. As were several other demons, some of whom looked worried.

His hand continued to throb in pain. He looked down to find that his hand, which had been resting on the ground in a casual manner during the conversation, had dug its fingers into the ground, resulting in a number of cracks. At the moment, he was holding a chunk of stone that had been forcibly pulled from the floor, and he had been holding it tightly enough that it broke apart in his hand. Loudly. And he hadn't even noticed.

He stood up. "I need to be alone." And he left through one of the passageways.

* * *

Galamoth rereads the section he has just completed. He doesn't like to think of himself as the irritable sort, but it had happened and it was worth noting.

Before writing this next part, he decides to stop for a bit and work on his other task. He sets his pen down, sorts and stacks the pages neatly in a pile, and leaves hell.

An hour passes. The room is perfectly still.

Eventually Galamoth returns. Thinking for a moment, he decides to stop by the main room so that the demons can properly inform him about the portal, and then returns to this room. He needed that break, he thinks. He wasn't the only one.

He picks up the pen and details the next conversation.

* * *

Galamoth closed his eyes and sat quietly in the corner of an otherwise empty room. The various golden garments had been discarded in a pile next to him.

"They told me you were in a bad mood. What's wrong?" It was Rebecca.

"I do not wish to discuss it", he responded without looking up. "Don't concern yourself with me."

"I want to. You helped me when I was hurt before. Let me try to help you."

He opened his eyes and turned to face her. "You've been here a century now, correct?"

"I think so, yeah."

"How do you stay sane down here?"

She looked off into the distance. "The usual. I do a lot of reading, I hang out with the other magicians, I try to help people whenever I can... you know, some of them just can't stand the heat down here, so a little icy breeze helps a lot."

He shook his head. "For a century? You were human once. Don't you miss the surface?"

She nodded. "Often. Last time we went to war, I took the portal and just took a look around again. I treated it like a vacation. You should..."

"I _can't._"

She stopped.

"I just made a fool of myself with these garments I made", he said, pointing to the pile. "Everyone thought I was trying to impress them."

"You don't need to. You know that. They're already impressed by you."

He lowered his head. "It wasn't for them. There are exactly two people I need to impress right now, and neither of them ever seem to be around."

She paused. "You mean..."

"Dracula and Thanatos."

"Is this about the hierarchy?"

He gestured to the empty space behind her. "It's about my entire life here. I have spent well over two centuries in this underworld of theirs. An underworld that clearly was not designed to hold someone like myself." Despite not leaving his seated position, he raised his arm and touched the ceiling to make his point. "And nothing has come of it."

"Your work in the forge..."

"We've done nothing but lose this war." He paused, reconsidering his comment. "_They've_ done nothing but lose this war. Meanwhile, they won't even give me a chance to fight."

"What about the arena? You do well there."

"That's not the same. Fights there are for showmanship and personal gain. I speak of fights that matter. Laying down your life to prove that you are strong and willing to suffer for something you believe in."

She raised an eyebrow. "You want to kill?"

"I want to prove that I can."

She didn't respond to this. He hoped that he hadn't upset her.

"You don't know how I came to be here, and it needs to be said." And appropriately abridged, he considered. "I was sent here after I waged a losing war against Dracula's son."

"You tried to kill Alucard? _You_?"

He didn't know how to react to her incredulity. "They called him Adrian back then. I shouldn't explain my motives, as they were quite cruel, but... in the end, he defeated me."

She didn't respond. He suspected that she was still trying to imagine what he could have been like as a violent warrior. He didn't think it was much of a stretch.

"I deserved death for my actions. But Lord Dracula... saw something in me. He offered me a chance to redeem myself, and I accepted it."

Her voice regained its composure. "And you're still here today. Really, just listening to your story, I can tell that being here has done you some real good."

"No. I have been trapped in here for over two centuries with only a few activities allotted to me. That's three human lifetimes." And one of my own, he didn't add.

He clenched his fists. "I am being punished. Meanwhile, everyone else wants me to believe that this is a reward."

"Galamoth..."

His voice had reached a shout. "All they need to do is give me a sign that they still believe in me. It doesn't even need to be any kind of status. Just acknowledge my presence! Allow me to fight with them against the Belmonts! Let me be their loyal servant! Something! Prove that they didn't just throw me into this dungeon and forget about me!"

He lowered his head and rested it on his hands. "If that is what they did, then I should have chosen to die..."

A cool breeze had started to blow through the room. As soon as he noticed it, he rolled his eyes. He should have expected her to try this. Even worse, it was working.

He took a deep breath. "You're right. That does feel good."

Her voice was equally cool. "You don't need to get so worked up about this. Very few of us get to personally meet with any of the lords. If they want us, they will come for us."

"Yes, but..."

"Meanwhile, we are still here. We still respect you. We still appreciate the things you do here. We like you."

He lifted his head again and sighed. She sounded honest enough.

"You shouldn't take out your frustrations on us", she continued. "We don't want that, for you or for ourselves. We'll help you get through this."

"I'm not sure how you can."

"We'll find a way."

He closed his eyes, laid back against the wall and allowed the icy breeze to blow over his body. Once he felt considerably calmer than before, he spoke again.

"Thank you."

She smiled. "I'm here for you. Like you were there for me."

"I suppose I should head back. They probably want to know that I'm okay."

She glanced at the pile. "I never got to see you in that outfit."

He winced slightly. "It's just as well. I'm told it looks ridiculous on me."

"Maybe it does. I think we could both use a laugh."

* * *

As far as Galamoth recalls, he never did get rid of that outfit. At least, not deliberately. It had taken a lot of work to craft and he didn't feel like throwing all his effort away. It wasn't quite as ridiculous as it seemed, and he kept thinking that he might find another use for it. And he didn't need the gold for anything else, although he remembered that he could always melt it down and reforge it if he needed to.

Rebecca was correct as well. He had lost no friends that day, even if some of the newer demons were more cautious around him than usual.

Still, he felt like he owed at least one demon something.

* * *

The succubus was in her room when he located her. She turned to see him and gave him a smile. "Oh, it's you. Feeling better?"

He nodded. "I shouldn't have reacted like I did. I want to apologize."

She sighed. "No, it was my fault for making fun of you."

"You always make fun of me."

"Yeah, but I think I overdid it that time. So did the Frozen Half find you?"

His eyes widened. "You knew about that?"

She smirked. "I kinda mentioned where you were, yeah. I figured, if you would listen to one person around here..."

He nodded. "Thank you for that."

She smiled again. Then the smile disappeared. "So, about Frozen Half..."

"Her name is Rebecca, actually."

"Really? In that case, what do you think of Rebecca?"

He gave the succubus a long look. "Is something wrong?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I know... we pretty much proved I don't have a chance with you. I suppose I shouldn't try."

"You are still thinking about that?"

"I really thought I could succeed, you know. And I kinda pushed you around because of it..."

Galamoth had never been in love. He had never lusted, either. But he had read books about the effects of such things. Given the evidence, he could not be sure what the succubus was doing, but he figured that it was one or the other.

"May I ask a question?"

The succubus put on one of her smiles. "Go ahead."

"They say succubi can take the form of a man's deepest desire."

She shrugged. "Oh, that. It only really works on living humans. It helps when they have dreams for you to use as a reference."

"You still did some changing that day. I was wondering why you didn't try something a little more drastic."

"Like what? I don't know what a female giant dragon thing looks like. I don't know what you look for. I don't even know if you look for anything! So... I was just myself, I guess."

He smiled. "It's nice to hear that." A pause. "You really look like that? You don't have to fake being attractive?"

She raised an eyebrow. "So you _do_ think I'm attractive?"

"I do not claim to be an expert, but... yes. But I had been thinking that maybe you were really an old witch or a skeleton or a male demon or..."

She took on an appearance of mock anger. "A male demon? You must be joking! I'm one hundred percent female!" She then resumed her smile.

He grinned. "Right. That's good to know." A short pause, then he stood up. "I must admit that it has been fun. If you are interested, I would like to continue to talk to you in the future." And he turned for the door.

"Wait." He turned. She was looking at him with a thoughtful look in her eye. "I just want to know."

He turned to look at her. "Yes?"

"If I had been... would it have mattered to you?"

* * *

_As always, the war plan ended in failure. The Belmont had gotten some help and succeeded in resurrecting Dracula himself simply so he could kill him again and end the curse. Thanatos, as usual, was in a bad mood, but continued to do a very good job hiding it under his cold exterior._

_The news had been so sudden, it was barely considered a battle. A few demons were stationed, and then everything was over days after it had begun. I didn't even need to fill any forge quotas._

_Still, I had my own reason to spend more time in there. I still possessed a small amount of melted gold, and I decided that it was enough to be forged into a few small golden items. With nothing better to do, I decided to make them._

_It was a few months later when they proved to be useful._

* * *

Thanatos had once again been doing some heavy research. In order to ensure that he could concentrate on his task, he had started delegating some of his leadership duties to the new lords of hell. This was not completely unexpected.

When one of the lords pointed out that this would require them to devote some time to their own tasks without interruption, Thanatos came to the decision that the lords needed rooms of their own. This way they would be easier to find in case of emergency, and a policy could be put in place where none of the minor demons would be able to bother them without permission. This was a popular decision, except for a few demons who were worried that the lords would start, well, lording over them.

Galamoth had just been explaining the new policy to a few of the new demons when another demon interrupted him rudely.

"Hey, Gally!" As a few heads turned, he decided to lower his voice to a whisper. "Check out what's going on over there!"

"Excuse me", Galamoth said to the recruits, then turned to look. "What am I looking for?"

"Scarm... uh... ugh, I can't pronounce Italian names... anyway, isn't he flirting with your girl?"

Galamoth blinked. "I do not own a girl."

"You know who I mean. Frozen Half?"

He could see them now. He couldn't tell what the two were talking about, but he had grabbed her arm for some reason.

He looked at the demon again. "Why are you telling me this?"

The demon stared back at him as if he was crazy. "You mean you don't care?"

Galamoth sighed. "If it'll make you happy, I'll find out what's going on."

He resorted to his usual method. Walk through the room, keeping his distance, and listen in on the conversation.

"...I think it would be fun" the demon was saying. "What do you think?"

"I don't know", she said, shaking her head. "I had other plans."

"Come on. This offer isn't going to last forever."

"But..."

Another demon piped in. "I wouldn't pressure her. She's Galamoth's girl. You know that, right?"

"What?" the first demon said and Galamoth thought in unison.

A demon a few feet away mumbled to himself. "Since when is Frozen Ha..."

Rebecca spoke up again. "I wouldn't exactly say that, but..."

The first demon didn't notice her comment. "Which one's Galamoth again?"

The second demon shrugged. "The really tall dinosaur one." He gestured toward Galamoth. "Over there. Staring right at us."

Galamoth had long since resigned himself to the fact that he would never be difficult to spot in a group. But he had been staring at the speakers, hadn't he? He tried not to react like he had overheard them.

After staring straight at Galamoth for a few moments like a deer staring at headlights, the first demon excused himself in a fit of unintelligible words and left quickly. Galamoth watched him leave, blinked a few times, and then headed over to where the conversation had taken place. "What was that all about?"

The second demon was the first to respond. "Oh, he was just asking her to..."

Rebecca stopped him. "It doesn't matter."

Galamoth frowned. "Sorry about that. I saw you talking and he started pointing at me. I hope I didn't ruin your conversation."

"He ran off pretty fast", another demon said. "Do you think he felt threatened?"

Galamoth shook his head. "I didn't do anything like that."

"I don't know. Just look at yourself. I don't think anyone could possibly see you and not be afraid."

Galamoth smirked. "Maybe so."

The next few hours passed uneventfully. Galamoth finished his conversation with the recruits and even found time to talk to one of the lords about his accomodations. Then he headed to the library and started to read again.

Rebecca showed up soon afterward, looking worried again. "Look, about earlier, I..."

Galamoth looked up from his book and shook his head. "I already apologized. I shouldn't have gotten involved."

She sat down. "Did you hear the conversation?"

"Part of it. I didn't really pay attention until that other guy said that you were my girl."

She nodded. "That's what I was worried about. I didn't..."

"I heard what you said back there."

"Yeah. I have no idea how that rumor came up."

Galamoth frowned. "It's rather unfair, isn't it?"

"What?"

"You're a very nice woman and a great sorceress. It's depressing that some of the demons around here speak of you as if you are nothing more than a possession."

"...thank you." She smiled slightly before turning for the door.

* * *

It can be hard to understand how people think, Galamoth thinks. Especially when they originally grew up in a society that was vastly different from yours. But sometimes, there's just enough similarity that you can figure it out.

The succubus was a later addition to the demons than Galamoth had been. And she claimed that her appearance was natural. If these two facts were true, then it was highly probable that she was once a human. She certainly took to her new life well.

She had a veritable collection of smiles for every occasion. Galamoth had noticed. One of them was very similar to the one that Rebecca had just used. It was weaker than the others, like she wasn't in a smiling mood, but wanted him to see her smiling. And the succubus had used it just before she started talking about Rebecca, and how she no longer thought that she had a chance...

And by noticing, he thinks, he had accomplished more than he could have ever guessed.

_I set the book down and decided to voice my suspicion. "Maybe I'm wrong..."_

_Rebecca stopped and turned to look at me again. "No, it sounds right. They shouldn't..."_

_"You have been acting like you want to be my possession."_

_She froze, then stared wide-eyed at me. It was an awkward pause. She apparently had no idea that I would say that, yet, at the same time, her reaction suggested that I had said something that affected her heavily. Perhaps she had considered the idea before. Maybe multiple times. Maybe for a long time._

_I decided to break the silence. "If it is your desire, I will gladly claim you." And I smiled. Sincerely. It felt like I had said the right thing for the moment, and I could not think of any reason why I would not honor my offer. I liked her, and it was easy to recall several occasions when I had felt like I wanted to stay beside her and protect her._

_Eventually she spoke, hesitantly yet honestly. "...I would like that."_

_I didn't plan my next actions, but based on the books I read, they felt natural. I closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. I then walked over to another shelf to find where I had hidden a box previously. I placed it on the floor and opened it._

_"Very well", I said, resting my left hand on the ground. "Come here."_

_With a curious expression on her face, she walked over to me and sat on my hand. I lifted her up and allowed her to look over the edge of the box and see the four rings that rested inside. They were the last items I had forged using the remaining gold. They were fitted to my fingers, but this wouldn't pose a problem._

_I reached into the box with my right hand and picked up all four rings. Then I lifted my left hand until she was at the same level as my abdomen. With a slow tilt of the hand, she laid backward until her back was resting upon my wrist and her legs were resting upon my fingers._

_The next part went as smoothly as I had hoped. I gripped one of the rings and slid it upon my left thumb. Shortly afterward, I slid the next one onto her left leg, just below the knee. The third one went onto her right leg, mirroring the other one. The fourth one went onto my ring finger._

_Having finished my task, I started to close my fingers slowly. She noticed this and folded her legs first. Once my hand was closed, my fingers rested upon her chest, gripping her firmly but not harshly. I then laid my arm across my upper chest so that she could lean back and look at my face as I gazed down upon her._

_"You are now my possession."_

_I smiled at her. She smiled back._


	7. Fulfilled Wishes

**Chapter 7: Fulfilled Wishes**

Thanatos and many of the demons had left hell again. And it had only been half a century since the last time.

When Galamoth first heard about this, he headed directly to the portal room to see for himself. The portal was wide open. In an effort to figure out what was going on, he asked one of the demons that was currently on guard duty.

"You know how that Belmont revived Dracula last time?" Galamoth nodded. "Well, Death was thinking, if the humans are capable of bringing him back without waiting a century first, why not let them do so?"

Galamoth blinked. "I find it hard to believe that any human would be foolish enough to want to do that."

"Well, you know how it is. Power is seductive, they think they can harness it for themselves, wham, we're in business. If that doesn't work, I think the vampires can do it, too."

"Let me get this straight. Dracula's already back?"

"Nah, not yet. Death thought of something else. Apparently to revive Dracula, you need to get into his castle first. So Death went and set up some spell in the place that summons him directly if someone tries to use the castle. Then he can make a portal for us, we come charging through, we help in the Dracula revival process... it's kinda cool, actually."

Galamoth nodded. This sounded like something Thanatos had been wanting for a long time. "So everybody's already up there?"

"Not everyone. The battle hasn't started yet, and it sounds like a bunch of us were caught off guard by this. Not all of us are ready to fight, you know. A few said they wanted to finish off some project first."

"That would be why the room wasn't deserted..." Galamoth said to himself. Then, in an inquisitive tone, "By any chance, did Thanatos have any orders for me..."

The demon shook his head. "He didn't say anything about it, but I don't think you should push your luck. I'd stay here." Then, as an afterthought, "I heard someone wanted you to go to the forge, anyway."

Galamoth sighed, thanked him for the update and headed down the hallway to take up his usual station.

* * *

_None of the other forgers were on duty when I arrived. However, Rebecca was sitting near the entrance, reading a book._

_"Oh? What are you doing here?"_

_She looked up and smiled at me. "There you are!" Then the smile disappeared. "Well, I was in here talking to the forgemaster, and he said that he knew you were keeping some of your things in this room, and we talked about it, and he thought it would be a good idea to put them someplace else."_

_I groaned. "I couldn't think of a better place to put them. At least, no place where anyone who saw them would know that they were mine."_

_"What things, by the way?"_

_"Your scepter. And the gold outfit." I pointed her to where I kept them. "I don't know where else they would be safe, aside from the library."_

_Her eyes lit up. "I can think of one place. I'll show you where it is."_

_We struggled to pick up all the items. In the end, she carried the cloth and scepter and I bore everything else, which would be admittedly too heavy for her. She suggested at one point that I could put some of it on. I didn't think it was a good idea, but I did end up wearing the bracers and carrying the rest._

_Eventually, we walked down another hallway and found ourselves in an empty room. It was fairly large and seemed to be a lot less cramped than the others. I wondered to myself why no one else was using the room for anything._

_She smiled. "You recognize this room, right?"_

_I looked around. There were some markings against one of the walls, which I supposed resembled some kind of weathering. I ran my hand over the wall, but I couldn't think of what would cause such a thing._

_"Remember? I froze that wall that day?"_

_Memories came flooding back. I had just picked a random room at the time, but it seemed she remembered it better than I did. "This room? It doesn't look like a safer hiding place than anywhere else."_

_"Really? Have you looked up at the ceiling?"_

_On reflex, I looked up. The ceiling of this chamber had apparently been carved by hand to the point that it was lacking the stalactites normally found in the rooms and hallways around here. While it would mean less chance of anything falling in the room, and it gave the room a slightly different feel from the others, I didn't know why..._

_...and then I suddenly realized that I was looking up at the ceiling._

_She must have seen the change in my expression. "I was talking to everyone else, and they agreed with me. After all you've done for everybody, the least you deserved was a place around here where you could stand up straight."_

_It was such a minor thing, and yet it meant so much to me. I spent a minute or two walking around the room, getting used to stretching out all my limbs fully, and then turned to look at her again. "Wait. Was this okay with..."_

_"We spoke with Death, and he gave us permission to modify this area for you if we did the work ourselves."_

_I stared at her. "You got an audience with Thanatos? How?"_

_She shrugged. "We were all talking about the idea and he just showed up. You can't say he doesn't pay attention to what everyone is doing."_

_"I may have to remember that."_

_"By the way, he wants you to know that he hasn't forgotten about you. Be patient. Your chance will come."_

_I gaped. "You told him about that?"_

_"No. But somehow, he found out about it."_

_I wasn't sure of the implications, but I nodded nonetheless. "I'll have to thank everyone, then. I suppose some of the other demons could also rest..."_

_She had a slightly guilty look on her face. "Uh... no, that's not necessary. I mean... actually, to be honest, I was the one who thought your stuff should be moved out of the forge."_

_"What? Why did you..." I stopped. I suspected that she was building up to something, and I decided to let her finish. "Go ahead."_

_She smiled brightly. "It's completely unofficial, and there's no way Death will enforce it, but the others are all willing to treat this as our private room."_

_"Wait. This isn't right. We don't deserve a private room. I'm not a lord."_

_"It doesn't matter to them. Official or not, they respect you a lot."_

_I didn't know what to say. This had come completely unexpectedly. "I suppose the best thing would be to continue to deserve this, then."_

_My morale was high, tensions were much lower than before, and things seemed_

"Galamoth!"

Galamoth looks up suddenly with a slight hint of annoyance. He is just about to finish the section, too. Why had someone called his name? Seeking an explanation, he listens to the demons in the main room.

"Why did you do that? He said not to disturb him!"

"But look at this! This is... look, I'm sure he meant he didn't want to hear about minor things. This... he needs to know."

"It's another summoning circle. You didn't make a big deal about the first one."

A third demon interrupts. "Yes, but the other circle wasn't specifically requesting Galamoth's presence."

"So..."

"I don't think his name is well known among humans."

"I need more details", Galamoth says as he strides into the room rapidly. "Are these the same summoners who wanted Death?"

"I think so", says the second one. "It uses the same kind of magic, and it hasn't been very long since the first one."

"Any idea of the source?"

"None."

Galamoth ponders for a short time. "What are the possible consequences if I allow myself to be summoned?"

The other demons fall silent. "You can't be serious!" one exclaims.

Galamoth takes a deep breath. "Look at what's happened to this place. Think of what could happen next. We need a dark lord. And we can no longer simply wait a hundred years if Dracula is gone. We have to do this Thanatos's way."

The third demon speaks. "Death could summon demons. We can't. It won't work."

"Think about it. If these humans can summon me, they can summon anyone. All they need is incentive. I will speak with them."

"But they might enslave you!"

Galamoth hesitates. "Does the summoning process force a pact?"

There is a brief discussion among the other demons, including some analysis of the circle. "No. It will, however, bind your body to the summoning circle. They can refuse to release you until you obey."

"I assume they have the means to force a demon to obey once it agrees."

"Definitely."

Galamoth sits down and starts to think. There are several options. He could agree to a pact, but then he would be forced to obey whatever they wanted, and he knows that would be unacceptable to him. He could refuse to agree to a pact, but then he would be potentially trapped there for eternity. Or he could just refuse to be summoned.

But, if he doesn't take a chance on being summoned now, he will be passing up a very good opportunity to create a new dark lord.

An idea comes to mind.

"I will need a minute to think about this." This said, he returns to the room. Acting quickly, he gathers up the pages he's written so far, as well as the pen and remaining paper. He also grabs Thanatos's book, just in case. The other one, he decides, would be completely counterproductive.

Too bad, he thinks. I wish I had finished writing this by now. This is exactly the right moment to use it as a backup plan.

He returns to the main room where the circle is. "I'm going. I think I have a strategy. I only hope that it works."

And before any of the other demons can say anything, he steps directly into the circle. In a flash of light, he is gone.

* * *

The humans must not have known as much about Galamoth as they thought. The summoning circle is too small to contain him normally. His body appears to have changed its dimensions in order to compensate. At least, he thinks, I still have the size advantage if I wish to intimidate them.

The summoning circle is in the middle of an otherwise unoccupied dark room in what appears to be a castle. He begins to wonder. Is this Dracula's castle? If so, this is only his third time on the premises.

He was getting close to writing about the first time, wasn't he? Well, as long as none of the humans are around...

_My morale was high, tensions were much lower than before, and things seemed to be going well. Except, of course, for the part where we continued to lose the war._

_Another half a century passed uneventfully. I had gotten used to staying in the new room, as well as staying with Rebecca. So when yet another iteration of the war was declared and she decided that she would be visiting her old homeland for a while, I was disappointed._

_Naturally, this meant that I spent my time forging, as usual. Also, I decided that it might be worth it to get a few more fights in at the arena._

_This led to what must be the most bizarre rivalry I've had in my entire life._

_My opponent was a demon by the name of Zephyr, a highly-rated fighter who used acrobatics and knives in battle. I had been told that he had an uncanny rate of speed, so I wondered if I'd even be able to land a hit on him. As was often the case in matches where I was fighting, the policy was no ringouts. Zephyr agreed happily; he apparently liked using the walls._

_As soon as the match began, he beckoned me to make the first move. Obliging, I feinted first with a downward pound and instead kicked him. He took the kick directly and went flying across the room. Getting up, he cursed loudly and charged at me. As I held my hand up in preparation to block, he drew a knife and jumped on my hand. This was not a smart move. I simply closed my hand around him and slammed him headfirst on the ground._

_It was not enough, as he stood up again well before the five second count. This time, he pulled out an entire set of knives and threw them at me. I didn't expect this, and I was too slow to dodge some of them. They stung a little, and I started wondering if they were treated in any way._

_Rather than press the attack, he held up his hand. "I forfeit", he said._

_The arenamaster didn't understand, but I received his 20 coin wager and was declared the winner. Zephyr shot me a dirty look as he left._

_When I was about to leave the arena at the end of the day, the arenamaster came up to me and asked me to enter the arena with Zephyr and himself. As soon as I arrived, Zephyr held up his hand. I looked at him. He turned to the master, who nodded and told me that I could return to what I was doing._

_The next time I went to the arena, the arenamaster told me that I was forbidden from attending any matches in which Zephyr was fighting._

_I still have no idea_

"So you have arrived."

Galamoth drops the paper and pen in surprise, then looks up to see that there are now a pair of humans standing in the room. He stands up and does his best toothy, menacing sneer.

"About time you humans showed up. It doesn't seem wise to dabble in forces beyond your mortal ken and then not stick around for the display of power. Who do I have to blame for my presence?"

One swallows audibly. At least, audibly to his hearing. "Well... that is, we weren't the ones who..."

The other elbows him. "Stop that! We don't need to do what he says! He's supposed to be obeying us, remember?"

Galamoth rolls his eyes. He is being held prisoner by amateurs. "Tell me. Someone here knows my name and believes that I..."

"Quiet, you!" the second interrupts. "We summoned you, and now you have to help us!"

"I think not."

"Look, they wouldn't have invented summoning circles if there wasn't some chance of the demon being obedient..."

Galamoth sighs. "You are clearly not the ones who summoned me. Bring me the human responsible, if you would. I will wait."

The first walks closer to the circle. "And if we don't? You just might be stuck here forever, pal!"

Galamoth shrugs. "It is no bother. I have reading material." He holds up the book that reads THANATOS.

A quiet mumble from the second one. "Thanatos? The Greek word for death?"

"I was not your first choice of demon, was I?" The two share a glance, neither apparently knowing the answer. "You cannot fool me. You two are merely doing a job, trying to convince me to become compliant before you put your master at risk. But I think it should be known that I was not required to allow myself to be summoned, and that I believe that this is a situation that warrants further analysis. So I again insist that you bring me the actual person in charge of the summoning so that we can resolve this in a rational manner. Understood?"

A lengthy pause. Then one of the two pulls out a piece of paper, looks over it briefly, and stuffs it into his pocket. "Yes, sir. I can do that." He turns and runs off into the castle.

Galamoth continues to look at the second one. "Guarding me?" The man nods. So does Galamoth. "Suit yourself." He picks up the pen again and...

...where did that last page go? He cannot seem to find it.

...that human was not carrying a piece of paper when he entered the room, was he?

He grumbles to himself. At least it didn't contain any information of value, he thinks. He considers rewriting it, but decides against it. That story wasn't actually all that important to his life, was it?

He pulls out a new sheet of paper, positions it so that the man can see he that is writing but can't make out the words, and starts a new section.

_Rebecca returned shortly afterward, yet another war was lost, and life was back to normal. Mostly._

_Thanatos made another public appearance and explained that this last defeat was part of another lengthy plan. He had found a way to ensure that the Belmont bloodline would not continue. I reacted in my usual jaded manner, and figured that I would not hear of the plan again until it had failed._

_I was proven incredibly wrong._

_Less than five years later, I was in the middle of reading when Thanatos appeared in front of me. "It is time to fulfill your wish", he said. "Finish all current tasks. You will be brought to the surface in one hour." And with that, he disappeared._

_When I told Rebecca, she was both happy and concerned. She knew that I had been looking forward to serving a purpose for Dracula and Thanatos, but she was concerned that I might be wounded or killed should a conflict arise. I reminded her that none of the demons had died in battle before, but she told me that she heard that the Belmont clan was in possession of a whip that was capable of destroying demons completely. Knowing nothing of this artifact, I couldn't reassure her._

_A short while later, she started insisting that I take her with me. I asked if Thanatos had recruited her, and she responded in the negative. Thus, I told her, it would most likely not be tolerated by him. She begrudgingly accepted this._

_Minutes later, a blue gargoyle arrived and instructed me to follow him to the portal room. This had clearly been arranged ahead of time; the guards didn't try to stop me. When instructed to enter, I pointed out that it was not large enough for me to walk through. This didn't dissuade them, so I ended up having to crawl. This was not as much of a problem as I thought._

_On the other side, I found myself in what appeared to be a castle. Judging by the instructions, I decided that I must have been within Dracula's estate. As that imp had told me on my first day as a demon, I was far too tall to stand upright, so I knelt on the floor._

_I looked around for the gargoyle, but he was no longer in the room. Instead, I was in the presence of four other demons: a mummified pharaoh (I hoped he wouldn't ask me questions), a large bat, an artificially-constructed oversized human, and a snake woman that might have been the Greek gorgon Medusa._

_Eventually Thanatos appeared. "My plan has just shifted to the backup plan. Dracula's son is coming."_

_Adrian? I remembered our first battle, back when I originally arrived on this planet. Was it finally time for a rematch? Was this the reason I was called forth?_

_"Pay attention. I will run interference early. This should make things easier for the demons that have been assigned to the backup plan. If the plan works, Alucard will be forced to either abandon the Belmont to his curse or kill him. Either way, the Belmont bloodline will come to an end._

_"We are concerned with the interference of a sorceress who is heading for this castle. If she successfully intervenes and the curse is broken, we have another backup plan ready, in which our magician Shaft will revive Dracula directly. This is where you all come in. The revival will require time, and you will need to slow Alucard down."_

_The snake woman interjected. "We're the backup to the backup backup plan?"_

_"That is one way to look at it. But if you manage to defeat him, Dracula will face less opposition. There is much to be gained from your success."_

_He distributed objects that resembled desiccated body parts to the other four. "Keep these guarded with your life. To stop the resurrection, Alucard will need to collect them. I will also split you up in order to lengthen his trip and increase the amount of time Shaft has available."_

_I spoke up. "What is my duty?"_

_Thanatos gave me an even look. "I will be protecting one of the items myself. You will be protecting me."_

_I thought about this. On one hand, I was the backup to the backup of the backup backup plan. On the other hand, I was Thanatos's bodyguard. It was hard to tell if my position would be considered important or not._

_"Alucard is almost here. Shaft will send you to your positions."_

_Moments later, I was transported again, this time using a portal that was designed for my_ _size._

Galamoth looks up. The human is still watching him, but he appears to be getting bored.

He taps the side of the circle and receives the expected burst of pain. The circle is high quality, he notes. What could the human expect him to do? He couldn't break out of it if he tried, even if...

He decides to do something about that later. For now, he continues to describe the prelude to the battle.

* * *

The first thing Galamoth noticed about his destination was that it was considerably larger than the other chambers of the castle. He would be able to stand up straight and move around freely in this area.

The second thing he noticed was that there was no way for him to exit the room. There were doors, yes, but they were designed for someone of Dracula's height at the most. One of them was even placed at the top corner of the room, where no one could possibly...

The third thing he noticed was that, if the furnishings of the room were any indication, he was actually standing on the ceiling.

"I have completed the first step."

Galamoth turned to face Thanatos, who was now floating behind him. "Where..."

"This is a duplicate of Dracula's castle that cannot be detected while standing within the real one. Dracula's essence has been moved here. If we are fortunate, it will appear to be missing completely from the main castle, and Alucard will abandon his search after finding the Belmont."

Galamoth nodded. "The way you speak, it doesn't sound like that outcome is likely."

"That is why I have made further plans."

"I understand."

"I acknowledge that we have never given you an opportunity to prove yourself in a serious battle since the day we met. Do you honestly feel up to the task?"

Galamoth hesitated. "The last time I fought Adrian, he was a prepubescent youth. I can only imagine how much stronger he has grown since then."

Thanatos turned to look at the lower door. "That is a valid concern. However, one of our goals is to ensure that he is weakened before he has a chance to reach us."

"Do we have guards as well?"

"I have stationed a number of them, including some of my closer allies." He paused in thought for a moment, then turned to face Galamoth again. "There is still a good deal of time before we will learn if this plan must go into effect. We can certainly enlist additional warriors of your choosing."

Galamoth considered this. "In the past, the magic users have expressed a wish to assist me in battle if I was called. I cannot ignore this. I request the witches."

He remembered something.

"And the Frozen Half."

If Thanatos had a facial expression, it might have been amused. "Am I correct in assuming that this was the Frozen Half's idea?"

Galamoth nodded.

"I will see about having them brought here to aid in the defense."

"Thank you very much, my lord."

Thanatos floated in thought for a moment. "One more thing. I vaguely recall that you wielded a sword back then."

Galamoth wondered briefly how he knew that when it was destroyed in battle, but disregarded the thought. "I am trained in wielding weapons. That would be rather helpful, now that you mention it. Is it too late to request armaments?"

"You should know better than that. There is a reason why you were expected to meet quotas in the forge."

Galamoth shrugged. "I merely filled them. I was never informed who was receiving them."

"Suffice to say, it would be inappropriate to not allow you to take advantage of the very service that you have been providing all this time."

* * *

_A messenger was sent back to the underworld with my specific requests._

_Thanatos was considerably more polite than I had anticipated. I figured that either it was a sign of respect, or he had heard about my near-breakdown and was trying his hardest to prevent another one._

_In the end, I came up with a short list of requests and he relayed it via blue gargoyle to the underworld._

_Not all of the requests were important. For instance, my first request was the golden garments. Thanatos had to ask me if I was serious, as he recalled that I disliked them. I assured him that I had a reason. It was a fairly minor one, but one I stood by: I wanted Adrian to identify me on sight as a person rather than as a beast, as I still respected his ability and the last time he saw me was as a child._

_In addition, I requested some chest armor and a helmet that would fit me, which I was told later was hard to produce without my help. While Thanatos was convinced that a sword of my scale would not be much help against Alucard, he suggested a curved blade that could be held comfortably in the hand, which would serve better as a defensive weapon._

_I had one additional idea, and I wasn't sure if anyone in the underworld could possibly fill it, but I was inspired. So I was pleasantly surprised when the gargoyle actually delivered it to me._

_"One scepter, modeled after the one in Galamoth's possession at a 5:1 scale, with generation of electricity as its focus."_

That was the third advantage of the original scepter, to be used as a guide in creating a better one. Thinking about it, he immediately wishes that he still possessed it. It not only served the same purpose as a memento of Rebecca's kindness, but it also made up for one of his major shortcomings. With the ability to produce lightning added to his repertoire, he could truly become the magical powerhouse Dracula once suspected he was.

The rest of the equipment was of good quality, he recalls. The armor fit and the weapons were comfortable to wield without much training required. You have to hand it to the forge demons, he thinks. They have never had a problem with their quotas.

Satisfied that all was well, Thanatos temporarily left to conduct some "necessary business", as he called it. Galamoth suspects he knows what he meant. He never did figure out just how frequently Thanatos went on his soul retrieval runs.

And then Rebecca had arrived, and the day couldn't have gotten any better. The two of them had frequently practiced a technique where he would bend down on one knee and hold out his hand just below it, such that she could run toward him, jump on his hand, jump to his knee, run up his thigh and hug him at the waist without needing to use her levitation magic. Despite the presence of his kneepad, they...

"What are you so happy about?"

Galamoth looks up at the human, who is eyeing him warily. "It is not your business."

"Heh. I've never seen a demon smile before. I wouldn't think you have much to smile about."

"Hell is not limited to suffering and torment." He smiles maliciously. "If you wish to find out more, I can certainly arrange for you to go there."

The man doesn't respond to this. Galamoth looks at him for a moment longer, then returns to his writing.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to battle? It will be dangerous."

"I wouldn't be a very good possession if I didn't protect you, would I?"

Galamoth smiled. "I haven't decided where to station you. I can't leave this room, so you will be fighting before me."

Rebecca nodded. "I will fight my hardest." The expression on her face was surprisingly serious. He had a hard time picturing her using ice spells with intent to kill. At the same time, he considered, he never would have met her if Thanatos didn't think she could do so.

"The witches came with me. I hope they will be enough."

"We shall see soon enough. I leave their positioning to you. You know them better than I do."

"I understand. Good luck to both of us."

"I hope we will not need it."

Her attention turned to the scepter in Galamoth's hand. "They actually made it, huh?"

He nodded with a grin. "I thought you would recognize this."

"You forget that I had to give them the other one as a reference."

He looked at it. "I suppose I..."

Something was hanging off the tip of the scepter. Due to its comparative size, it wasn't easy to notice, even though it glittered. His curiosity piqued, Galamoth removed it and took a closer look. It appeared to be a ornate necklace, appropriately sized to be worn around the neck of a human, bearing the letter J. He had not seen any jewelry of this design before.

Rebecca didn't have a good view. "What is that?"

"I don't know." He took a closer look, and then examined Rebecca as well. "But I think it would look nice on you".

He lowered his hand to where she could reach its contents. She took the jewelry slowly, examined it closely, and then placed it around her neck. In his opinion, it did nothing to hurt her beauty.

He nodded appreciatively. "Just as I thought. A perfect fit."

"I wonder what the J is for."

Before Galamoth could venture a theory, Thanatos returned. "Our part of the plan is beginning. I recommend that you move to your stations."

"I understand."

"Take care of yourself." And she left through one of the doors, leaving the reptile alone with Thanatos again.

Thanatos watched her leave. "I thought that your friend would like that necklace."

Galamoth blinked. Several times. "You put that there?"

"I obtained it during my effort to slow Alucard down. I have no need for such an object, so I decided that it would make for a nice gift."

"Thank you, my lord. She seems to like it."

Thanatos paused for a second, as if there was something else that Galamoth needed to know. But rather than continue the conversation, he simply nodded, turned, floated toward the ceiling and headed out the opposite door.

Galamoth watched him leave, wondering just how much he knew about himself and Rebecca, despite almost never meeting with them. For all he knew, one of the demons may have been instructed to spy on them.

If that was the case, it was probably for a good reason.

* * *

Galamoth sighs. If only the battle had also ended on such a high point.

"What is it now?"

Galamoth looks up at the human with a dirty look, and then returns to his writing. I really need to stop visibly reacting to my writing, he thinks.

_The first clue that things were going wrong was a skeleton who entered the room to inform me that Death had left his position to check on his minions when Alucard arrived and defeated him in combat. This caught me completely off guard. Was I not supposed to be his bodyguard? Why would he get himself killed early and ensure that my involvement was no longer relevant?_

_The second clue was when Alucard entered the chamber._

_He had aged to young adulthood since I last saw him, and he carried himself with dignity. His hands gripped a sword and shield, and he was clad in dark armor with gold trim and a cape, as well as a familiar necklace. He hesitated when he saw me. I didn't know if it was because of my size, my familiarity, or my outfit._

_Unknown to my allies, I had many questions to ask him. This would prove beneficial to everyone, including the magician for whom I was stalling._

_"We meet again, Adrian. Do you remember me?"_

_He didn't reply. His facial expression remained serious._

_"We fought once before. You were a child at the time."_

_"I prefer to not remember the details of my previous conflicts. They only lead to additional hatred and regret."_

_"Back then, you called yourself by your father's name. You respected him and wanted to grow up to be just like him." I took a step forward with intent to tower over him. "Why did you abandon him?"_

_Alucard did not react visibly to this intimidation. "He started this war against humanity. His anger has only led to the suffering of others. His actions should not be allowed to continue."_

Galamoth notes that both had improved their vocabularies significantly since their first meeting. It was a welcome change.

_"Lisa was your mother. Do you not bear hatred toward her killers?"_

_"It is natural to feel anger towards those who have wronged you and those close to you. But those humans are long dead, and his war continues."_

_"Perhaps his goal is to prevent further conflicts from occurring."_

_"He is the one who is creating conflicts. Most humans have never met a demon, let alone antagonized one. Yet he labels them all as his enemies."_

_I watched his expression as he continued. There was no trace of self doubt on it. He was starting to be rather persuasive._

_"My mother did not want this war. She told me this before she died. She asked us not to hate the humans, not even those who were responsible for her death."_

_"I have heard that she was a kind woman."_

_Alucard looked at me angrily. "Have you never met a human? Have you never seen how they react in fear of you and those like you, whether or not you have done anything to deserve it? This is the work of Dracula's war. The two sides could have put their differences aside and gone their separate ways centuries ago if not for his persistence."_

_He had a very good point. I remembered the day when I had first met Rebecca. She was convinced that the demons would kill her if they felt like it. Truly, this war was harmful to both sides. And it had lasted more than three centuries so far..._

_I was convinced. No matter who won this battle, Dracula's war had to end soon. Somehow. For Lisa's sake, and for Rebecca's._

_Rebecca? I looked at Alucard again. The evidence was there. But I had to be sure. I didn't want to make a mistake._

_"I have a further question", I said. "If your father had made the decision to kill Lisa's killers, but spare the rest of humanity, would you have accepted this?"_

_"I would have understood his actions, but I would hesitate before inflicting death due to a single act."_

_"Then suppose these killers had a lengthy history of harming people like your mother. Would you be quicker to pass judgment on them?"_

_"I suppose I would. But this has little to do with Dracula's war."_

_"You are correct. Now explain the necklace that you wear around your neck."_

_Maintaining perfect composure, he answered. "It is originally of my possession. I retrieved it from the remains of the magician who bore it."_

_Just as I suspected. I gripped my weapons tightly. "That magician was the most important person in my life! Perhaps I will agree with you that this war is wrong, but I will not forgive you for killing her!"_

_Alucard shook his head. "Then a pointless fight it is."_

_"It is not pointless if it will teach you that you must show the same mercy to demons that you wish us to show to humans!"_

_And we_ _clashed._

A female voice speaks. "And you lost."

Galamoth looks up suddenly. There is now a light-haired woman standing in the room with him, and she is staring intently at the words that he has been writing. The man from earlier has moved further away.

He removes the paper from her sight rapidly. "It is none of your concern."

"But it is. The son of Dracula was no minor threat to his father. To this day it is rumored that he survived while the dark lord fell. If he poses a risk, we must consider it."

She holds up her hand as close to the circle's field as she can manage without touching it.

"It is an honor to meet you, Galamoth. You may call me Celia."


	8. Knowledge

**Chapter 8: Knowledge**

Galamoth stares at Celia. "Why have you summoned me?" he demands.

She stares directly back into his eyes. "Why did you respond to the summon?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Why have you refused to agree to a pact?"

"Where have you brought me?"

"Why are you writing your life story?"

Both hesitate. Then Celia speaks again. "I can keep this up as long as you can. It is easy to ask suspicious questions. Let's try actually having a conversation instead."

His expression turns to anger. "You are mocking me."

Celia shakes her head. "That's what I get for trying to treat a demon civilly." She takes a breath. "I have requested your presence because my colleagues are in need of the aid of demons. As you have responded to the summon, I can only assume that you have some reason to visit the surface."

Galamoth gives her an uneasy look, then attempts to sound diplomatic. "Ever since the great war of 1999, the other demons and I have found ourselves cut off from the surface. We seek to reestablish non-aggressive relations with humanity in a manner that will allow us to regain what Dracula's war has cost us."

Celia smiles. "Not bad at all for a first try. Regarding how I learned your name, well, we'd like to keep some of our trade secrets to ourselves. As for where we are, this is my castle. It is interesting that you mention Dracula, because his absence is part of the reason why I called you here."

"You requested the presence of Thanatos before me."

"It is our understanding that Death leads the demons. Previous summoners have found it convenient to summon him and allow him to handle the task of summoning the other demons." She frowns. "However, this is a dangerous approach if a pact is not established first. You have not been helpful in that regard."

He crosses his arms. "I find the idea of a pact unappealing. It also would not be to your advantage to form one. None of our demons are currently capable of summoning each other."

"That is unfortunate. The problem will be solved once we have a new dark lord, but we'll be unable to accomplish anything without demons."

"_You_ want to create a new dark lord?"

She stares into space, almost religiously. "It is our view that pure good in the world cannot be achieved without pure evil existing to counterbalance it."

He rolls his eyes. "Evil. An annoyingly common human perspective. Our interest is in the practical advantages of having a leader and representative."

"How interesting. I have summoned you and you have come to me for an identical purpose. I would almost call it destiny. I suspect that it will require the two of us to work together to accomplish our goal." She shakes her head at him. "And to think you were trying to push us around."

The guards tried the same thing on me, Galamoth doesn't say.

* * *

While the agreement could have easily been reached without the use of pen and paper, such items were available and made the process appear more formal.

Galamoth had insisted that no pact be required, instead noting that their similar goals, his disinterest in rampaging across human lands, and Celia's ability to unsummon him whenever necessary would suffice to keep him in line. In fact, he argued, his part of the plan would require him to return to hell.

His rationale was simple. He could arrange for the demons to agree to be summoned by her group for the purpose of reviving the dark lord, but they would need to know about the plan first. The only way for that to occur would be to let him tell them. He had suggested that two of the higher-ranked demons, Malphas and Agni, be summoned to help her oversee the process and make decisions regarding which demons would be the most suitable to request. Galamoth, meanwhile, would be making regular runs between hell and the castle to deliver information. Celia never questioned how he would be able to do so.

He then raised the question of how the dark lord would be revived. She revealed what he had known for a while now: the castle included access to the chaotic power that once belonged to Dracula. While he emphasized that Dracula's rebirth would not be the most desirable outcome, Celia had another plan anyway. He was introduced to her assistants Dario and Dmitrii, two men who she believed had the potential to claim the power and take up the position. Galamoth found them adequate, although he considered that Dario seemed like the type who would start the war again just for fun.

Shortly afterward, she unsummoned him, allowing him to set the plan into motion on the other side. She was left with a piece of paper on which a few reminders were written. No pacts. Keep a low profile; the demons don't want the dark lord to be a target again. Galamoth is the messenger; only summon him again in case of emergency. And if you do, use a circle of at least twenty feet in diameter.

The demons were fond of the idea and didn't need much convincing. Agni was more hesitant than Malphas at being put in charge, but Galamoth insisted that they would not need the forge. All in all, it looked like things were finally going to get better.

With all of these tasks completed, Galamoth returns to the room and resumes his writing. He has almost completely forgotten where he left off.

* * *

As before, it was Galamoth who fell to the ground defeated.

Alucard gazed at his battered body, a task that didn't require him to look downward. "There was no need for us to battle. We could have been allies."

Galamoth struggled to rise, but failed. "I promised to serve Dracula... but I can no longer tolerate this war... Rebecca is gone... I am not strong enough to stand... finish me..."

"It is tragic what Dracula's influence can do to one like yourself."

Galamoth almost agreed with him. However, he was unable to ignore his belief that, before he had met Dracula, he was arguably just as much of a cruel murderer. "Please... end the war... but don't forget... your father was once great..."

With this said, Alucard reluctantly delivered the final blow. He probably had a wise one-liner afterward, but his opponent would never hear it.

Galamoth awoke to find himself in the same room of the castle as before. Alucard had long since left. Below where he stood, he could see the remains of his body. Above where he stood, Thanatos floated, staring down at him impassively.

"We are going back", he said with little emotion. And he produced his scythe, and he used it.

And then Galamoth awoke again to find himself in the middle of a familiar room. His room. The one the demons had made for him.

He struggled to one knee. "What is this?"

Voices sounded from outside the room. "Galamoth's back!"

He started to stand up and look around to get his bearings, only to find Rebecca lying on the ground near where he had landed. If he had to draw a conclusion, he would say that the act of dying had deprived the two of any material possessions they had carried, which meant that they remained back on the surface. Indeed, Galamoth no longer carried his weapons or wore his garments, and Rebecca was subject to the... same fate...

"Rebecca!" he shouted emotionally.

She awoke slowly. "I... couldn't protect you."

"I fell in battle as well. I guess we truly cannot die after all." And without giving her a chance to protest, he scooped her up in one hand and held her body tightly to his chest. Her body was warm to the touch, and he let out a deep contented sigh that she probably felt.

Rebecca was almost crying. "I thought I would never see you again!"

He stroked her gently. "When I found out you had died... I could think of nothing but delivering justice to the one who killed you."

At that moment, a number of demons entered the room with intent to welcome the two back, only to find them together on the ground, neither of them wearing anything. He was holding her body tightly to his chest, his grip covering her and keeping her safe.

They promptly left, apologizing for the interruption.

As they left, Galamoth thought to himself. Yes, he saw it. He saw everything. And he knew what it meant. But did it really matter to him?

Not at the moment. He hoped it never would.

He left Rebecca in the room and went to meet with the other defeated witches. Perhaps one of them had a spare robe for her to borrow.

It was not the end he would have expected from the greatest battle of his life.

_In the end, despite all of the preparations, all of the backup plans, and the fact that I had been personally involved, the battle still ended in failure. Alucard successfully prevented the return of his father._

_Thanatos was not happy. He was polite about it, naturally, but his words gave me the distinct impression that I had not lived up to my lord's expectations and that I would not be assisting in the next attack. I accepted this fate begrudgingly, yet readily._

_Normally I would have said that the plan was considerably better thought out than the others, and that the failure must have been due to the ingenuity of our enemies, rather than our own ineptitude._

_But I didn't. I remembered Alucard's words, and I believed them. The war was a bad idea, and it needed to stop._

* * *

Galamoth's part of the plan is based on the belief that his involvement with the process should appear as limited as possible. He has done well to not give away any information that could not have been determined by the humans from the knowledge that Dracula died in 1999.

Aside from the fact that he was summoned at all. This part continues to bother him. Still, the humans didn't seem to think that it was a big deal.

Getting information from the humans via the demons is the easy part. The hard part is sending messages to them. He uses an obvious method: give a message to be relayed by the demon they next intend to summon.

He looks around. Hell is the emptiest it has been in the past three decades, aside from that one incident last year. This, he decides, is a very good sign. It means that, for the first time in a long time, the demons are on the surface and are not being killed for it.

* * *

"I regret to inform you that I will no longer be able to fulfill my duties here."

The forgemaster and the other demons who aided him could only stare at Galamoth as he made his announcement. He had worked the forge for over three centuries. He had done a very good job of it. He was _the_ demon to see regarding the construction of armored guards. And his decision had come without any warning.

Galamoth was not entirely uncivil about it. He reassured them that, by providing the items he had requested on such short notice during his absence, they had proven that they would be able to succeed without his assistance.

He never did tell them why he left. But he clearly could not allow himself to continue to aid the production of the means of prolonging the war.

Instead, he decided to focus his attentions on another section of the underworld that he liked and that needed his help: the library.

He had heard that during the previous battle, the demon in charge of maintaining the literature had traveled to Dracula's castle to investigate the stock there. Then, when Alucard confronted him in the castle, he had directly aided him in his quest. This was considered treason, and the librarian was removed from his position immediately upon his return. There may have been an even crueler fate, but Galamoth had not heard about it.

And now Galamoth would fill the same position. He did not find it as enjoyable as metalwork, but it seemed like a more productive activity at the time.

It didn't take him long to determine the major difficulty inherent in keeping the library stocked. He didn't have a portal and couldn't use it even if he did. And he knew full well by this time that all the books had come from the humans.

The solution was effective yet counterintuitive. He assigned a group of demons to do the footwork for him. They were not always aware of what books would be considered suitable for their stock, so the final decision was left for him.

The part that made this awkward was that they could only do so when war was occurring. Thanatos's new method was in full use at this time. Before the end of the 20th century, there would be no fewer than seven more attempts to revive Dracula, all of which succeeded, and then were foiled by a chosen representative of humanity.

What bothered Galamoth the most, though, was that the name Belmont was very rarely coming up now. It was starting to seem like anybody with any slight relation to the Belmonts could stop Dracula's efforts now. One of the demons postulated that it may have been due to Dracula's inability to regain power through a lengthy absence. It was entirely possible.

* * *

_In fact, there were so many meaningless incidents, I will skip several of them right now and resume my story in 1917._

_The most recent attack had been in 1897, and it was a battle that I took particular interest in. It had been one of Dracula's century-based revivals, and this time his plan was to leave the mainland and travel to another country, where he would be able to regain his power and subjugate the humans without any of them having had any experience battling him._

_The humans handled this conflict through numbers. While few of Dracula's opponents had been warriors, they worked together to determine his weaknesses and then confronted him directly. Most didn't even know each other at first, but were brought together by the fact that he had attempted to convert their love interests into part of his vampire army._

_In the end, one man landed the blow that ended the war, but at the cost of his own life. Interestingly enough, his blood was distantly related to that of the Belmonts, even though his ancestors had left the European continent years before. He also had a son, and later years would prove that this bloodline would devote themselves to stopping Dracula whenever he returned. They did not possess the same abilities as the Belmonts, but they would become almost as well known._

_What made this particular battle interesting for me was not that the circumstances were so different, or even that Thanatos and the demons had a very passive role in the events. It was that I learned all of this by reading a book. All of the events I had read about were written from the humans' perspective._

_This was the first time that I was aware that humanity had expressed their opinion on the recurring appearances of Dracula, and I thought it was an interesting source of insight into their thought processes and logic. In fact, it was my opinion that the proper use of this book might eventually lead to the kinds of strategies or compromises necessary to end the war._

_A demon had obtained this book during the 1917 war. It was part of a stack of literature that he had looted from a bookstore's fiction section._

_While I was annoyed that the tale was relegated to that section, and I had to scold the demon for gathering texts that were not useful for research purposes, I decided to keep two of the fiction books that he had obtained in our library. Both texts had, after all, contained an interesting perspective on true events._

Galamoth looks at where the two books rest on the floor. One, as always, is the text about Thanatos. The other is the second book that he had picked up at the time. Oddly enough, it had been written less than a year after the detailed account of Dracula's attack on England.

This book is entirely fiction, though. It is a novel by a human named Wells entitled _War of the Worlds._

* * *

Galamoth was stacking books on the top shelf, a considerably easier task for him than most other demons, when he heard a woman's voice behind him.

"You must be Galamoth. I've heard so much about you."

He slid the last few books into place with a single finger, then turned around and bent down to look at the demon that was addressing him. "I don't believe we have met."

"They call me Astarte. They say you come from Crocodilopolis."

She resembled one of the human females, although she was at least a foot taller than an average example. Her hair was dark, her skin tanned, and she was clad in the traditional garments of a high-class Egyptian. Barely clad, though. He got the distinct impression that she could easily remove them at any time.

"I never stayed around there longer than necessary", he said dismissively.

She nodded. "I can see. While you clearly have the features of a desert dweller, I'd say you don't handle yourself much like an Egyptian at all."

"I was loyal to the Petsuchos, not the pharaohs." He gave her a suspicious look. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to meet you. You know... get to know you better."

"I am busy at the moment."

"This is exactly why I want to talk to you", she responded confidently. "Whenever someone like me comes around, you always get testy. I think you're ashamed of your heritage."

"That's not true."

"Then why do you no longer wear your outfit?"

Galamoth opted for the honest answer. "It was lost in battle and never recovered."

"And before that?" She was getting hard to bluff.

"I am not one of the gods!" he shouted in an annoyed tone. "I do not wear clothes well, yet they left me, an outsider, to fill their absence! Why does everyone want me to act like one of them?"

She looked behind her. "I thought I saw Anubis around here once."

He paused for a moment. "I had not noticed his presence. I'm not certain that Thanatos would want the competition, anyway."

She shook her head. "Typical survivor of the times. The Europeans take over and suddenly you prefer their ways of doing everything. The nudity, the battle, Thanatos... you know, even Crocodilopolis is the Greek word for the city."

Galamoth was getting very worried. Was this a trap? If he kept responding in this manner, she might back him into a corner.

He changed his tactic entirely. "To be honest, I do not even speak Egyptian. I never took the opportunity to learn it."

This revelation of the partial truth seemed to soften her accusatory tone. "You had no problem learning the language here."

Now, he thought, he had a chance to control the conversation. "When crossing the desert, there were few creatures of my stature with which to speak. Hell, though, is a social place. I could not accomplish anything without taking the time to learn first.

"I suspect you are correct. I was not much of an Egyptian. Even today, I think of myself more as a demon than as the Petsuchos bearer." He looked down at his feet. "You must hate me."

Unfortunately, she didn't. She calmly walked up to him, changing the tone of her voice to one more soothing. "No. I don't hate you. But I can help you. Stay with me. I will remind you what it was like... back in the days... when we were proud."

He took a step away. "I shouldn't. I am busy..."

And she started singing. The song was simultaneously alluring and alien to him, and he realized that, having researched the culture solely with texts, he could not have possibly gained any kind of experience with Egyptian music. It was indeed beautiful. And so was she...

This had to stop.

"I have had enough of you, temptress! I do not consider myself an Egyptian! I only shared their land and their fate! Do not bother me again!" And he stormed out of the library.

The biggest problem with Astarte, he considered, was that she didn't even realize that what she was doing was wrong. In her attempts to get on his good side, she was simultaneously threatening two of his most severe weaknesses.

Very well, he thought. If any woman was going to have that kind of control over him, he would choose the woman himself.

* * *

_Rebecca was reading the Stoker novel when I entered our chamber._

_I felt guilty about doing this as soon as I had made the decision. I had been worried that Astarte was testing me. And now I would be testing her and myself at the same time, solely for my own benefit._

_The Wells novel had been placed to the side. She had apparently already finished it. This would help greatly._

He remembers the plot of the book. In short, a number of aliens from the nearby planet of Mars decided to travel to Earth, harvest the population, and steal the resources. The story was told from the perspective of the victims, and it detailed what psychological effects were the likely result of an alien invasion from outer space. Included were depictions of the draining of blood from victims and the sense of utter helplessness against a far superior threat.

At the time, he figured that he could pass it off as an analogy for the humans' perspective of the constant demon threat, but he knew full well that he had an ulterior motive for keeping that book.

He had given it, as well as the Dracula story, to Rebecca to read. He wanted to see if she appreciated the same nuances that he did.

_"I have a very large favor to ask of you", I said._

_She looked up at me. "You look tense."_

_"I just spoke with Astarte. Are you familiar with her?"_

_She nodded hesitantly. "I think she's shown us some of her magic before. Nice woman. A little self-absorbed, but..._

_I sat down before her. "I can't stand her. If I run into her again, there will be trouble."_

_"I didn't think she was that bad."_

_"I am serious." I gave her my best pleading expression. "I need you to do something for me, or there are going to be some major problems in the future."_

_She set down the book. "What do you need me to do?"_

_"I want you to try to love me."_

_She blinked. "I already love you. You know that. Why? Is she..."_

_"That's part of it. She was coming on to me, and... if she keeps trying, she might succeed."_

_I didn't like talking like this. It made me feel like I was somehow weak. Certainly, the other demons would scoff at the idea of a thirty-foot-tall demon who was afraid of being unfaithful to his human mate. Perhaps if they had bothered to get to know the witches at some point..._

_She eyed me suspiciously. "This bothers you. Are you afraid that you don't love me?"_

_"I know I do. I meant... I think we should try to actually make love."_

_Her eyes widened immediately, and she started blushing. "What? How would that even work?"_

_"I am still not sure", I said hesitantly. "All I know is that, if I'm going to be seduced by anyone here, I want it to be you."_

_She gave me a strange look, and then shrugged. "Okay. What do you want me to do?"_

_I sat upon the floor and once again adopted the leg-spread position from my two earlier encounters with the succubi. "There's supposed to be something inside that you need to stimulate first."_

_She was still staring at me. "What's that?"_

_I looked down. "It's a cloaca." Her expression was still blank, so I elaborated. "The other reptiles also have them. They are used for waste disposal and reproduction, serving the combined purposes of a mammal's..."_

_She was already starting to walk away from me. "What's wrong?" I asked._

_"This... the whole thing is wrong. I can't do this. I'm sorry. I can't."_

_"Please stop", I pleaded. "If you don't want to do this, we won't. I just thought... I wanted to find out if I could."_

_"If _you_ could?" she asked. "I haven't even had sex with a human, let alone..."_

_"I haven't, either. And I've tried. The succubi were attractive, and yet... I don't know! For some reason, I actually feel like it could work with you. I know I've felt stronger feelings for you than any of the others..."_

_She sighed audibly. I knew what she was going to say next, so I decided to admit it first. "...and I know it's not that, because I don't feel anything around any of the other male demons..."_

_I probably should have phrased that in a less blunt manner, because she was staring at me, gaping. "You **knew**?"_

_I nodded. "You lost your robe after you fought Alucard. I think a few of the others have known for a long time..."_

_"Why didn't you say something?" She seemed almost angry now._

_I gazed evenly at her. "Because I didn't think it mattered. If I'd felt any different about you after I found out, I might have let you know. It's never come up before today, has it?"_

_She looked at me thoughtfully. "What do you mean, it doesn't matter? You were the one asking about..."_

_I started to lose my patience. "You are right! I shouldn't have done that! If I was a human, maybe! I'm sorry I brought it up! I thought we might be in love!"_

_She paused briefly, and then continued in a calm voice. "I didn't say we weren't. It's just... well... I'm not used to the idea of actually following up on it. It's kinda weird, you know..."_

_"It feels the same way to me as well! But for me, weird is the only option! I cannot simply go home and find a woman of my own kind to mate with!"_

_And there was the cold breeze again. I sighed. Other demons probably didn't end all of their heated arguments with low-level magic and a few calm words._

_She walked back to my side and rested her hand on my leg. "I do love you. And maybe you're right about this. But if you are, we can't just rush into this. We need to build up to it, make sure we're comfortable with it, and then..." she looked at me in a confused manner, "what do you mean,_ your own kind_?"_

_At that moment, I was wishing she had cast that spell a few sentences earlier. I had said that, hadn't I? I thought for a moment, and decided that I had little reason to not tell her. It was only fair. Her secret was revealed. I wanted to be convinced that she did love me, no matter what. And I wouldn't have even started this conversation if not for Astarte..._

_"Do you remember the book that I gave you?"_

_"On Dracula? I'm not that far into it."_

_"No. The other one."_

_"War of the Worlds? I finished that. It's kinda depressing, and the ending came out of nowhere. I'm not sure I like science fiction."_

_Depressing, I thought. I was starting to have second thoughts. "Well... I should tell you, but I don't know if you want me to build up to it or not."_

_She looked at me, then looked at the book that she had placed on the floor beside her. Then again at me, this time uneasily. "Are you saying..."_

_"The book is a work of fiction. There are no creatures on Mars that have any intention of attacking the Earth. But I happen to know that there are worlds other than this one where other civilizations exist, and some of them are indeed hostile to less developed worlds. And I know this because I came from one of them. I am an alien."_

_She didn't say anything. I couldn't bear to look at her._

_"This is the first book I've read to ever propose the very notion of what I am. And it was written less than 20 years ago. I do not think the other demons would have responded well if I had told them the truth back in the 15th century. So I told them that I was from Egypt, so that they would stop asking."_

_She spoke again. "...they might have accepted you."_

_"I can't be sure of that."_

_"I understand what you were thinking, but I don't think anyone would have been offended by the truth. It's not all that different from telling humans that you're a demon."_

_I looked at her in surprise. "Really? Have you done that?"_

_"A few times. Usually to people who treat me nicely."_

_I frowned. "They used to kill you for that, didn't they?"_

_"Not the ones that cared about you."_

_She was never persecuted for being a witch. I sincerely hoped that she was being realistic instead of optimistic._

_"Still, that's not the worst part."_

_She sighed. "I'm not sure it's a good idea to build up to these things. Just tell me what's bothering you."_

_I chose my words carefully. "The humans hate Dracula, and rightfully so. Even I have trouble tolerating this war of his. So it may be hard for you to believe that there was once a time, almost 500 years ago, when he and his son actually saved humanity from their demise."_

_"Why do you bring this up? And how do you..." She stopped suddenly. I remembered that I had already told her that I had waged a war against Alucard. She might have figured out the connection._

_Still, I had to finish. "They stopped me that day. If they hadn't, I would have been exactly like the aliens in the book."_

_"You're not like them. You're _nothing_ like them."_

_I closed my eyes. This was painful to admit. "I was. That was the very reason why I came to your planet. I would have eliminated everyone on the Earth to make room for the other members of my race."_

_Her voice was shaky. "...you would have?"_

_"Not necessarily with my own hand, but that was the intent back then." I smiled sadly. "I certainly wouldn't do it now."_

_She took a deep breath. She probably needed it. "Please tell me that was the last of your revelations."_

_I opened my eyes. "It was."_

_"Good. Because I don't like repeating myself. I don't care what you were like in the past. I care about what you are like now. And what I see today is a man who's worried about who he is and who wants me to know why. I see the same man who once said he'd do anything for me, and for whom I'd do just as much." She hesitated. "At least, if we work toward it patiently." She may have smirked._

_"Rebecca..."_

_"I'm concerned about what you told me. Honestly, it scares the hell out of me. But that's because you're worried about it, and you act like you think it could change you. That's what I'm afraid of. That you'll think that it's who you were, and not who you are, that decides who you'll be."_

_I nodded. "I think you're right. I'll try not to dwell on it."_

_"You said something like that when I first met you. It doesn't matter what you did before you came here. What matters is what you will do now. Everything you've done here was for our good, and I trust you'll keep it up."_

_I considered this for a while. "I have been a demon far longer than I have been an alien, I suppose. If this is good enough for the others, it's good enough for me. I am a demon."_

_She smiled at this. I gave her a wry smile in return and continued. "And by the same logic, I will consider you a woman."_

* * *

Galamoth sighs. Things had almost turned out perfectly. There was a small amount of unease, but that was normal.

While the two had stayed together through the end, he still remembers the day when they finally succeeded at making love. The two had just returned from a meeting of the spellcasters, he noted that he was feeling in the right kind of mood, she had tried again, and this time, it worked.

At least, it worked as well as it could have. It is hard to copulate when your phallus is more than half the length of your partner, he considers. They had to improvise.

He once again looks around the room and considers the properties of hell. It has always been hot and dry, and he has grown used to it, and it isn't unreasonable for him, considering that he grew up in a desert. What he had failed to remember, though, is that the desert tends to get very cold in the evening.

He decides not to write this part down, for three reasons. First, some aspects of his life just don't need to be detailed in full for the other demons. Second, the whole experience had left him feeling rather shallow. It was not very reassuring to learn that the original reason why he fell in love with his chosen mate was because she was capable of lowering his body temperature.

And third... he can never have those days back. She is gone.

Without another word, he sets the paper down and heads to the surface to watch the events progress.


	9. Isolation

**Chapter 9: Isolation**

It was a few years shy of the turn of the millennium when Thanatos appeared before the demons again.

"As prophesized, Dracula's next return will be his greatest yet. It is our conclusion that it will be the best possible chance to win this war. We will be holding nothing back, and I expect the best out of everyone here.

"Unfortunately, our battle fifty years ago was completely unplanned, and it cost us a large amount of resources. We must make up for it ahead of time."

Those events, bizarre and unpredictable as they were, were still fresh in everyone's minds. A number of the demons had been summoned to Dracula's castle, and Thanatos had not ordered it. He recovered quickly, though, and before long he had turned it into another full-fledged war effort.

Once again, he left the conversation at that. Still, the effects of his speech were staggering.

Even though the war was not occurring at the time, everyone was busy. All of the new recruits were expected to be trained with all haste. The group of spellcasters was instructed to meet at least twice as often. The arena was being used for battle practice rather than gambling. The library was filled with researchers who sought information on new technologies and any possible weaknesses the humans possessed. This would indeed be the largest battle that hell had ever waged.

_Thanatos appeared to me the next day. "Your services are required. Return to the forge."_

_"I no longer work there."_

_"This is an order, not a request." And he disappeared._

_This did nothing to improve my day. The war, no matter how climactic it was to be and how much could be gained from it, continued to be a tragedy. I was unwilling to commit myself to aiding the conflict._

_But his orders were absolute. Was it necessary to go against them for my beliefs? Would it be right for me to turn traitor, like a forgemaster and a librarian before me? Was I actually willing to do so, especially against the one who was responsible for my continued existence?_

_I didn't have long to ponder this, as it was barely minutes before one of the lords arrived to confront me in my room._

Galamoth sets down his pen and thinks about Malphas. It's rather odd when he thinks about it, but it is possible to spend over five hundred years in hell and still find out new things about the demons that live there, even when you have known them for a long time.

Everyone had known Malphas, even before Thanatos had designated him one of the lords. He isn't very tall compared to some demons, but he is highly visible with his stark black appearance, golden accessories and massive black wings, which he often keeps folded. Galamoth has read that Malphas was the one responsible for designing the current architecture of hell, but he has never asked him if this is true. His crow-like voice tends to be grating on the ears, but those who listen to it find that the words it delivers always have an aura of true politeness behind them.

* * *

Malphas was not the type to fly in anyone's face, not even when facing giants like Galamoth. Instead, he kept a fair distance and crossed his arms as his wings kept him airborne.

"Thanatos has given you your orders, correct?"

Galamoth turned to look at him. "Did he send you to enforce them?"

"He is not a fool, Galamoth. He knows how much you resent this war. He would not demand such a task of you unless he had a reason for it."

Galamoth crossed his own arms. "Does he intend to test my loyalty?"

Malphas shook his head. "This final conflict is going to happen. It has been fated, and Thanatos can do nothing to prevent it."

"But he has not even made an effort..."

"You are known as an armorer, Galamoth. When everyone goes to battle, they count on you to ensure that they are protected as much as possible. Thanatos is not the only one who needs you. Everyone needs you." Malphas uncrossed his arms and flew slightly closer for emphasis. "Even myself."

Galamoth sighed and rolled his eyes. "...I suppose I have no choice, then."

Malphas tried to sound sympathetic, despite his voice. "Thanatos respects you more than you think. You disagree with his ideals. He knows this, yet he believes in you. Do not let him down. Do not let us down."

Galamoth gave him an uneasy look. "I will do as he says. But let him know that I am doing this for the good of the others and not for his ambitions." Then he stood and trudged past the lord, leaving his room and heading for the armory.

* * *

_I had to admit that the forging process was therapeutic._

_It also helped that the forgemaster was sympathetic to my plight, and allowed me to focus my attentions on defensive armor as opposed to the armored minions who would be pawns in the struggle. Still, I was often asked to assist in the moving of the heavier armors and golems, and I felt obligated to aid them._

_If nothing else, I could take comfort in the knowledge that this was to be the final battle of this war, no matter who won._

Wait. Malphas and Agni.

Galamoth hasn't checked on them in a while, he realizes. He decides to head out immediately and make sure that they are handling things well on the surface.

Once he arrives, he finds that they have been reassigned. He can't be sure who is currently responsible for demon-summoning decisions, but Celia has certainly been busy. Some of the demons seem to be preoccupied about something, and Celia is currently arguing with a suit of enchanted flying armor about something he has seen on the horizon.

Instead, Malphas and Agni are currently working with the candidates. It doesn't match Galamoth's plan, but it is obvious in hindsight that the plan will fail if neither candidate can successfully become the dark lord. He is still not sure what they need to do, but Celia seems to be the expert on these things.

Satisfied, he returns to hell and resumes his writing.

_"You will not be fighting in this war. You will remain here."_

_I cannot think of any other possible orders I could have received that would have been so simultaneously expected, reassuring, and irritating. Still, I was interested in the reasoning behind the decision, so I asked._

_"You will continue to man the forge and fill any emergency requests. In addition, given the imminent absence of the lords, you will be expected to aid in keeping the peace in the underworld."_

_I found this notable. Thanatos did not trust me to fight, but trusted me with the lives of the other demons in his absence._

_"I will fulfill these duties to the best of my ability."_

_"I expect nothing less."_

In hindsight, there is something highly bizarre about the concept of being a conscientious objector in the final battle for the fate of demonkind and humankind. What made this more unusual was how many demons were present for the battle. Even Rebecca was recruited to go. If Galamoth remembers correctly, the number of demons that remained in hell may have been as low as twenty.

This hadn't lasted. The underlings were the first to return, as they were most likely the first demons deployed. Soon enough, the place looked just as filled as it usually seemed during wartime. Galamoth rarely had to exert effort to ensure order. It was pretty apparent that his presence alone kept everyone in line.

Galamoth sighs. Even then, it hadn't been enough. But not even he could have imagined the final outcome.

If he remembers what the demons had said correctly, the final battle was led by a Belmont, a name that Galamoth had not heard in a long time. And in the end, a number of humans took part in a magical ritual that somehow caused Dracula to be permanently banished from the planet.

When the news hit, everyone had been devastated. Especially Thanatos, whose reaction was downright furious and hardly concealed at all.

The humans had won. Dracula was gone. Completely. The war was over. For good.

_I should have felt relieved. I could not. So much had been lost, and we had gained so little._

* * *

_If that had been the end of the story, things would have ended on an acceptably high note. But it was not, and things were going to continue to get worse._

Galamoth sat patiently in the middle of the main room, waiting for his opportunity.

It had been approximately thirty years since the war ended. Life had returned to normal, yes, but it was a normal that had been rather depressing compared to the demons' earlier lifestyle.

There was no longer a portal, which meant that the demons would never set foot on the surface again. Normally, Galamoth wouldn't have minded this so much, as he had almost never been there and had no experiences of being there in his past about which he could look back fondly.

But the repercussions had affected every other aspect of his life. Without a war in the future, there was no longer any reason to forge, nor were there any methods of obtaining the necessary materials. The library's stock would never be updated again. And rumors from the final war suggested that humanity had advanced sufficiently in technology that it was rare to see a new magician in hell, reducing the interest in holding regular meetings.

It was hard to keep his morale high. The arena helped, even though the knowledge that the demons would never need to use their battle talents again was a major damper on their motivation. Rebecca was depressed that she would never see her people again, although his presence was often enough to cheer her up. He hadn't finished off the last batch of literature yet, so that was a pleasant diversion.

The largest comfort he could take was in the knowledge that, no matter how much the demons were suffering, the humans were finally happy. Lisa's wish had finally come true. Not in the way she wanted, but it had.

The worst consequence was that he hadn't seen Thanatos in years.

_This bothered me. Was he still present? Had the end of Dracula devastated him enough that he had gone into withdrawal, refusing to speak to anyone? Was he still doing his job? Was he deliberately avoiding me after I had made my opinion of the war clear?_

_I considered a number of ways to find out what I was hoping to know. At the moment, I was trying one of the least difficult methods._

_Malphas had met with me before the war. He seemed to know a great deal about Thanatos and his motivations, and he had spoken freely with me before. If there was one lord who would answer my questions, it was him._

_The problem was that, unlike the room I shared with Rebecca, the lords' rooms were considered off-limits to the other demons without orders or an invitation. As a result, my best option was to wait in the main room and hope to catch him leaving so that I could get an audience with him._

* * *

Malphas was perched on Galamoth's arm in crow form as the two entered the lord's room. "You should have visited me sooner", he squawked. "I would not have turned you away."

Galamoth sat on the floor. "I obey the rules, my lord. Only other lords can enter your room freely."

"...that's true. You're not a lord." He was almost speaking to himself.

Galamoth looked at him quizzically. "Sir?"

The crow shook his head. "You do not need to use such honorifics in my presence. I do not mind." He hopped from Galamoth's arm to the ground, changing into his more human-looking form along the way. "So why did you wish to speak with me?"

"I am worried about Lord Thanatos. I haven't seen him since the day the war ended, and I wanted to find out if there's something wrong with him."

Malphas paused for a second in thought. "It is true that he has been more withdrawn than usual since Dracula died. However, I can assure you that he has not given up on his duties."

"You're that certain?"

"He still reaps souls. And all the signs I have seen suggest that he is trying his hardest to figure out what he is going to do next."

"That you've seen?"

Malphas nodded. "You would not know this, but he has his own room as well. It is more isolated than the others. No hallways lead there."

Galamoth also nodded. "That makes sense. He can teleport, can't he?"

"He spends much of his time in there." He seemed hesitant now. "To be honest, I have not been able to visit him in a while."

"So how can you be sure that he's okay?"

"I cannot. But I know him as well as anyone. He always has the interest of the underworld in mind. I would be surprised if he was not trying to figure out what he can do to bring us back to prosperity."

"It's odd to hear that", Galamoth said with a smirk. "Isn't he the kind to always have a plan?"

Malphas did not return the good humor. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

"Malphas?"

"It is difficult to be a lord, Galamoth. We do not know enough of what Thanatos knows, and what we do know is not to be known by others."

Galamoth sighed. "You can't tell me and you won't tell me."

"In short. Still, I can assure you that you can trust Thanatos to know what he is doing." He gave Galamoth a nod. "You are correct. He always has a backup plan."

"And sometimes his backup plans have backup plans."

"Even without a plan, he still has a backup plan. Do not let him down."

Galamoth stared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Malphas walked in the direction of the door, then turned to face him. "I am sorry that I could not be more helpful. However, if I hear anything that I believe you need to know, I will inform you. Personally, if necessary."

No more words were exchanged. Galamoth left his room silently, trying to figure out what he was talking about. A backup plan? What did he mean?

If he had figured it out sooner, it would have saved him a lot of trouble.

* * *

_I can pinpoint the exact moment where everything went downhill. Annoyingly enough, it was largely my fault._

_It started with great optimism, as Thanatos was making his first public appearance in a long time. "We have a plan. There is still a chance that we can revive Dracula."_

_The demons looked at each other in a confused manner. Dracula wasn't gone forever? How could he possibly come back?_

_"His power still exists within his castle in a chaotic form. We cannot normally enter the castle, but it will become temporarily accessible in a short amount of time. I will return there and bring him back myself."_

_Many of the demons reacted enthusiastically. One spoke up from the back. "How can we help? There's no portal."_

_"There is a man there who wishes to follow in Dracula's footsteps. I will help him claim his power and thus accomplish his goal. That way, he will be able to create the portal. Our return will finally be at hand, and the war can resume." And with that, he disappeared._

_I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Create a new Dracula? One who possessed none of his motivation, yet who was inspired by his cruelty? A Dracula who would never have been like the one who recruited me, but who would be like the one who kept the war going for over 500 years?_

_I had had enough. "Absolutely not."_

_The other demons turned to stare silently at me._

Galamoth looks up suddenly. Something is wrong. Leaving his writing behind, he heads to the surface without hesitation.

The castle looks like someone has been rampaging through it. The hallways he sees no longer contain any demons. They have all congregated on the upper and lower levels.

He has no idea if the humans are safe. Agni has moved to the upper level, so he heads directly to his location. Dario is still with him. Both are unharmed. Galamoth sighs in relief, and then starts to check for...

Malphas is missing. Entirely.

He heads immediately to the chapel where he last saw him. No sign of him. Dmitrii's deceased body has been left in the middle of the floor. The two must have been attacked, Galamoth decides.

Who? Who would attack this place? He told Celia and the demons to keep a low profile! He sighs. It will still be a long time before demons are welcome on the surface again, it seems.

He starts following the swath of death to figure out who is responsible.

He finds his answer in the clock tower. Zephyr had been battling in there, and he has just been struck down. As Galamoth watches, his body is collapsed into a mystic symbol, and his soul is trapped within the body of...

...Soma Cruz? He came back? He is claiming the souls of demons again? And now he's fighting _against_ us?

Galamoth immediately heads back to hell to tell them what he's learned. Unfortunately, he doesn't get the chance to say anything before one of the demons gives him an update.

"There's another summoning circle for you."

* * *

Less than a minute later, Galamoth is back in the castle, this time in a physical form. The summoning circle had been the correct size this time, which meant that he had to be in a sitting position when he arrived, but he still viewed it as an improvement.

The room is abandoned. Blood can be seen on the walls. Were the summoners killed? He cannot tell.

"Why is Soma here?" he yells into the distance. "And will someone let me out of this circle?"

No reply.

He sighs to himself. He had jumped into the portal almost immediately after he had seen it, knowing the situation, and now it appears that he is trapped for the moment. All he can do for the moment is...

...he didn't bring his book-in-progress with him. Or any books, for that matter. He had been entirely too hasty.

If nothing else, he decides, he can remember the events of the past and figure out how he intends to write them later.

* * *

Galamoth continued to stand adamantly among the demons. "I refuse to go along with this plan."

He hoped that it would work. It did. Thanatos appeared before the demons again.

"What?"

"What you are proposing will extend the war while losing track of the reasons why the war was waged in the first place. This man knows nothing of the death of Lisa. He knows only of the power Dracula possessed and what he did with it."

Thanatos shook his head. "It does not matter. We need Dracula. Without him, we..."

Galamoth interrupted him. "If we need Dracula, we need the Dracula that existed prior to Lisa's death. We need the Dracula who strengthened the cause of the underworld. The one who was fierce to his enemies, yet not viciously so. The one who would not spend 500 years in a war of attrition due to a slight caused by a group that died centuries ago."

Thanatos might have looked surprised, if his skull was capable of such an expression. "Are you questioning my orders?"

Galamoth stood as defiantly as he could manage in a room that was shorter than his full height. "I am questioning your motives. What Dracula had proposed was nothing short of the genocide of humanity. He felt that they deserved it. Whether or not they did, humanity would not give up without a fight. And they gave us one, and they won. The war is over. We need to rebuild. We need to stop holding a grudge."

Thanatos was starting to become furious. "Dracula gave you your life! He gave you a chance! And you would..."

"He should have given a chance to humanity as well!" Galamoth responded in the same tone of voice. "He abandoned them completely that day! There is a reason why Adrian opposed him, and the same is true of Hector. Both retained their ties to humanity, and they saw the war from both sides, and they agreed which side was in the right."

"So you plan to betray us like they did!"

"**THIS IS NOT BETRAYAL!**" Galamoth roared. "I am reminding you of your duty!"

He realized what he was doing, took a deep but unneeded breath, and continued in a calmer voice. "If anyone should remember the importance of keeping a link between demonkind and humanity, it should be you. How many human souls have you had to deal with? How many of our demons were born of humans or their societies? The two groups are closely tied, and we would not be any better off without them!

"We have two sensible options. We either need to restrengthen the underworld and regain our glory, or we need to reform our link with humanity. What we absolutely do not need to do is continue to push them away with this war.

"Forget about Dracula. His grudge should perish with him."

Complete silence. Especially from Thanatos.

"I agree with Galamoth."

Rebecca moved her way through the crowd to stand next to her mate. "This war has no reason to continue."

Thanatos didn't look at her. "...I see. And does anyone else agree with him?"

A number of the demons started muttering to themselves. A number of the lords stepped forward to stand alongside the two. Notably, Galamoth noticed that Malphas was one of them. A large number of the underlings also joined the group.

Thanatos turned his back in thought for several seconds. Then he spoke again.

"...my plan will continue. The backup plan is already in motion. If both should fail, I shudder to think of the consequences."

Another pause.

"And you."

A metallic sound.

"I believe that you need some perspective."

Galamoth was too slow. Before he could react, Thanatos turned and sliced him across the chest with his scythe.

* * *

And when I awoke again, Galamoth thinks, I was a soul.

He looks around his current location. The two situations are annoyingly similar, he considers. He is in a room that is actually shorter than his body, with few notable objects to suggest its purpose. He is incapable of moving, and there is no one else in the room.

And in both cases, he spent far too much time thinking about his purpose.

Back then, the thoughts were more conflicted. He wasn't sure if he had betrayed Thanatos or not. He didn't know what happened to the others who stood with him. He didn't know if he had died or if he was merely being punished. And he was even more confused about the backup plan that everyone kept mentioning. Did it involve him? Malphas had implied as much. But Thanatos had said that it was already in motion...

And just when he had decided that he would be trapped for the rest of his existence, Soma Cruz had arrived.

He wasn't much to look at. He was a young human with white hair and pale skin who happened to be carrying a sword. And he had taken fewer than fifteen seconds to completely shatter Galamoth's initial assumptions.

He broke the pedestal that had contained his soul, and then absorbed Galamoth into himself.

The feeling was bizarre from Galamoth's perspective. It felt as though he was seeing the world from the eyes of the young boy, except that he had no control over his own actions. He could muster up an amount of innate power from the depths of his soul, but that was his only option.

Galamoth hadn't even realized all of this at first. He hadn't known much about souls, and certainly wouldn't have called himself one. This changed when he had started wondering just who the kid was...

Soma Cruz, age 18. A high school exchange student living in Japan. Highly introverted, except toward his best friend Mina Hakuba. He is currently trapped in Dracula's castle, which has been sealed away since the great battle of 1999. He has absolutely no idea why this is the case, but he has the ability to claim souls for his own. He has associated with...

...and had actually gotten an answer.

There were other souls present. Malphas had been one such example. His innate strength was frequently being tapped by Soma, allowing the youth to move around far more easily in the air. He wondered what that would have felt like for Malphas.

He himself had not been tapped in that manner. Well, there was one occasion. Soma had confronted a rabbit demon in a hallway, tapped Galamoth's soul for power, and then struck the rabbit down in one blow. Galamoth couldn't even figure out if he had done anything. He wished that he could have bestowed some kind of impressive power, like controlling lightning or giving Soma a boost of strength or even turning him into a thirty-foot giant. But it seemed that he was cursed to sit by and do nothing.

And then he had discovered that Soma possessed Death's soul as well.

Thanatos was also a slave to this boy? How had this happened? Were none of those events going according to plan?

As he had pondered the situation, it happened again.

Death, also known as Thanatos, the Greek god of death. The son of Nyx and Erebus and the brother of Hypnos. Eventually became ruler of the underworld...

Galamoth had tried the same thing with the other souls in Soma's possession, but had gotten no results. With this in mind, he decided that something unusual was going on with Thanatos, and tried to press his soul for more information.

...ruler of the underworld. Swore allegiance to the bearer of an artifact known as the Crimson Stone, which was eventually discovered by Mathias Cronqvist in the year 1094. Since then, has aided Mathias, now known as Vlad Tepes, or more commonly Dracula, in his efforts, including his war against the human race.

And, with that one revelation, Galamoth realized what had been going on. Dracula's war against humanity had taken its toll on demonkind, as he knew all too well. And Thanatos had specifically been aiding him the whole time, ignoring the demons in favor of his master. And to that day, Thanatos refused to turn his back on Dracula, no matter how unreasonable he was being. Galamoth should have never tried to talk any sense into him.

In the end, with little other choice, he had continued to watch Soma continue on his quest. He couldn't hear anything, though, so he had no idea who the other people Soma met were. He was having difficulty determining if Soma was on the side of the demons or not. The boy killed many of them, but then took their souls into his body and was granted access to their abilities as well.

Eventually he started a conflict with another man, this one with brown hair, who was residing in the throne room of Dracula's castle. This man attacked using a fireball-based offense, as well as many souls...

...was it possible that this brown haired man was Dracula? Galamoth couldn't perceive his energy. Perhaps this was the man that Thanatos had been thinking of reviving.

Nevertheless, he fell easily, once again making Galamoth wonder if anyone with a slight hint of weapon training was qualified to defeat Dracula in a fight, with the exception of himself.

And that's when things got interesting. Galamoth felt the power that started coming from Soma immediately. A great deal of energy washed over all of the souls, formed entirely of chaos.

The boy must have been Dracula. Galamoth could not convince himself otherwise. His magical aura was identical. And yet... his personality had been completely different. His methods were not the same. He had not attempted to kill any of the humans he had met during his journey. Not even one who was equipped identically to a traditional Belmont.

This moment had inspired Galamoth. Perhaps it was possible to revive another version of Dracula after all. One who was not the one who led the underworld to ruin, but one who respected others and would be able to lead without tarnishing the reputation of either realm. Was this what Thanatos had wanted to do? And had Galamoth ruined his plan for everyone?

He was just about to find out if he could get more information about Thanatos when Soma had adventured into a room filled with chaotic energy, causing Galamoth to black out completely...

* * *

"I apologize for the delay."

Galamoth breaks away from his memories to notice the man, who is dressed in the standard outfit of a member of Celia's group.

"What happened here?" Galamoth asks. "Why have we been attacked?"

"Soma Cruz..."

"Yes, I know about Soma!" he snaps impatiently. "What I want to know is, why is he attacking us? I thought he gave up on being the dark lord!"

"Celia still sees potential in him. She is the one responsible for his arrival."

Galamoth is taken aback. "Why would she sabotage her own..."

"It's part of her plan. For a dark lord to rise, Soma must be eliminated first. She baited him here, and now intends to have the candidates destroy him in battle."

"He already killed one of them! I saw the body!"

"That was Dmitrii. Dario is currently battling Soma. If he wins, he will have proven himself to be the most appropriate successor to Dracula."

Galamoth ponders this for a second. If Dario becomes the dark lord, will he be what Galamoth had complained about back then? Someone with the same personality as Dracula, but without the deeper motivation behind it?

"And where's Agni?"

"The fire demon is directly aiding him in battle."

Galamoth nods. "I've seen the state of things. You need as much help as you can get. Let me out and I'll help you."

The man stares at Galamoth for a second. Then he takes a short breath before speaking. "I can't do that."

"What? Then why did you summon me?"

The man produces a piece of paper. "I have distinct instructions. Galamoth is to be summoned to the castle. Upon his arrival, we must convince him to form a pact before he can be released. If he refuses, keep him confined until I, that would be Celia writing this, arrive. Feel free to convince him of the severity of the situation until he gives in. Do not let him loose without me or a pact. So you can see, I have to leave you here for the moment."

Galamoth growls loudly. "This is stupid! Our demons are dying! One candidate is all that remains! What would I possibly want to do to make things worse?"

"It is not for me to say. This is not my decision."

"Galamoth!"

An imp flies into the room. It looks at the man, then flies around the circle to land near Galamoth's side. "Have you come to help us?"

Galamoth glares at the human. "Apparently not."

The man sighs. "Please form a pact. It really will make things easier."

Galamoth crosses his arms. "I will not."

The man walks out of the room. "Suit yourself."

Galamoth slams his fist against the side of the summoning field and ignores the pain that results. "This is stupid."

The imp speaks up. "Why didn't you just do what he asked? We need your help!"

Galamoth looks at the imp in a depressed manner. "Because I know why I exist. The instant I agree to a pact, I will cease to be helpful."


	10. Sole Desire

**Chapter 10: Sole Desire**

_"He's moving!"_

_Galamoth opened his eyes slowly. As the world around him came into focus, he realized that he had eyes to open, and that he had heard a voice. He was no longer a soul. As he started to find joy in the fact that he had been released from his unfortunate fate, he looked around to get his bearings._

_He was back in the middle of the main room of the underworld. Demons had crowded around him, but he noticed that there were far fewer of them than before._

_He remembered that he could speak. "Where is everyone?"_

_"They went with Death to the castle", answered a demon that resembled a small walking suit of armor._

_"How many?"_

_"Most of them. All of the lords. They took the other captives there, too."_

_Galamoth remembered the circumstances before Soma had showed up. "I was a captive, then?"_

_"Death said it was the price you would pay for opposing his master. And then he..." The armor hesitated._

_He wasn't the only one. The demons around Galamoth were looking far more uneasy than usual._

_"What? Did something happen?" Galamoth demanded._

_A witch spoke up. "I think... you should look at your chamber."_

_Without pausing further, Galamoth stood, made sure he knew which direction he was facing, and headed directly back to his room. The demons followed at a more cautious pace. If Galamoth had to guess, he would have said that they wanted to be present when he saw what they were talking about, but also wanted to stay far enough away to run. This was a very bad sign._

* * *

The imp appears to be confused. "But if you don't trust these humans enough to agree to a pact, why did you trust them enough to get summoned?"

Galamoth points down at the circle. "A circle lasts as long as a caster maintains it. A pact is in effect for the entirety of a demon's existence."

"So you're only wasting a century instead of wasting eternity."

"Exactly." When you are a demon, Galamoth notes, a century is a lengthy but acceptable amount of time to accept the consequences of your actions.

The imp thinks for a moment. "What if the circle's caster becomes immortal?"

Galamoth hesitates. "She has discussed her candidates before, and she has never once referred to herself as one of them. She has also described her goal as creating "evil" to strengthen the power of "good". While she desires to live in a world with a dark lord, she may not actually seek his favor or blessing."

"Leaving you here doesn't sound very good to me."

"I was hoping to actually meet with her and discuss the situation." He notes that the man from before is reentering the room from its sole doorway. "I did not come here without a backup plan. Perhaps now is the time to use it."

The man gets to the point immediately. "Dario is gone."

Galamoth's eyes widen. "The remaining candidate is dead?"

"No. He fled the premises. It seems that the demise of his demon may have cost him his natural advantage."

The reptile winces. "So Agni..."

"Soma claimed his soul. Celia believes that, due to our lack of candidates, now may be the time to convince him to become the dark lord again."

Galamoth's expression becomes worried. "Won't that result in Dracula's return?"

The man shrugs. "It's certainly a possibility. It is hard to say if Soma truly is the dark lord reborn..."

The demon shakes his head. "I don't like this. Let me out. We need to find another solution."

The man eyes the demon warily. Then he turns and leaves without an additional word, not even one about forming a pact.

"If Dracula comes back," Galamoth grumbles to himself, "I should just save time and throw myself into the lava pits."

The imp winces in sympathy.

* * *

_It was as bad as he had feared._

_The chamber was a mess. Many of the objects he kept were strewn over the rocky floor. And in the middle lay the unconscious body of_

_For the love of everything in hell or on the surface, no._

_"REBECCA!"_

_Galamoth rushed to her side with all the grace of a distraught oversized demon and picked up her body. She didn't move. Her body was cold, and not in the manner that was expected from an ice witch. While there was no evidence of blood, the wound she had suffered was obvious. A large sickle was sticking out of her chest._

_If the demons had ever wanted to see a thirty-foot lizard cry, this was their chance._

_"You can't be dead! We can't die! How did this happen? I can't let you leave me like this!"_

_"We couldn't stop him."_

_Despite the fact that his eyes were full of tears, he turned to face the demons who were still at the door._

_"After he punished you and the others, we tried to stick up for you. We tried to tell him that you didn't deserve it. He didn't stop! He seemed to have gone completely insane! He just kept saying that the job wasn't done! He grabbed Frozen Half and took her to your room. When we caught up, we saw him plunge the thing into her, he vanished, everything was like this... it was terrible!"_

_"I heard him say..." one of the witches started mumbling "...he said she didn't belong with you..."_

_Galamoth tried to pull the sickle out, but it refused to budge. He tried pushing on it, and it proceeded to sink deeper into her flesh. He stopped immediately._

_"__**WHY? WHY WOULD HE DO THIS?**__ Why didn't he just punish her? Everyone else went to the castle!"_

_A werecreature spoke up. "There was... something else. Some kind of message, we think. He may have written it."_

_Galamoth looked at him, anger not yet subsided. "What message?"_

_"I don't know. None of us can make any sense of it."_

* * *

"You have to understand", the imp tells Galamoth, "that humans are afraid of what demons can do. Letting one go free without any kind of safeguard could result in..."

"That's not the point!" Galamoth responds in frustration. "They have a whole army of demons running free! You can leave the castle if you want! They might unsummon you for doing so, but you have the option! So why am I stuck here? I'm the one who's been wanting to help them the whole time!"

"You are a bit more imposing than the rest of us..."

"They didn't even know what I looked like at first! They made the circle the wrong size! I think they just found my name somewhere and summoned me!"

The imp looks at him. "It is possible."

Galamoth doesn't respond. He stares into space, eyes widened, with a genuine look of fear on his face.

The facts have been right in front of him the whole time, and he has never noticed them. He has been played for a fool, and quite successfully. And now that he knows, he knows he is in trouble. Two possibilities come to mind. He hopes it is the more rational one. That one, he can explain easily.

For someone with knowledge of summoning demons, the process doesn't appear to be too difficult. All it takes is some careful circle design, magical ability, and the name of the demon that you wish to summon.

Galamoth is not well known among the humans. Still, other demons have been to the surface, including Rebecca, and they may have mentioned him. There are several logical ways to figure out that there is a demon named Galamoth that may be worth bringing to the surface.

But those circumstances aren't sufficient. **Galamoth isn't his real name.**

* * *

_After a brief search of the room, Galamoth was able to find the message the werecreature had mentioned. It was a piece of paper with writing on it that had been left amid the broken objects. He had almost expected it to be written in blood, but it appeared to be simple ink scratchings with unwieldy handwriting in a written language that was decidedly not English._

_/ If you read this my plan has failed. It is the backup plan you do not understand. He sought end of demon life. You seek death as well. Finish the job. /_

_"What was that?"_

_Galamoth turned to face the demons, who stared at him with a blank look on their faces. "This is... his ultimatum. His backup plan was revenge. He wanted... he either wanted us to die or to kill... or for me to kill her..."_

_"You were speaking in tongues. I didn't understand a word you said."_

_Galamoth looked back at the message reflexively. While the grammar was terrible, he had no problem making out the words._

_...because the words were written in his language._

_The one used back home. On his planet._

_He had even been called "you do not understand"..._

_Galamoth pounded the floor with his fist, not caring if it led to any structural damage. Thanatos had known the truth the whole time!_

_After a few seconds, he looked up at the demons again. By now, many of the demons had cleared out, since he clearly had plenty of reason to be in a terrible mood. He didn't blame them. "Thanatos has gone too far!" he roared. "Where is he?"_

_Collective confusion. "He hasn't come back yet."_

_Galamoth's eyes widened. "What? The battle at the castle is over! I was present at the final conflict! He should have returned!"_

_The armor spoke up. "You were the only one to come back."_

_"This doesn't make any sense! Where are the lords?"_

_"They didn't come back, either."_

_"Then who's in charge around here?"_

_The demons paused, then turned to confer to each other. After a bit of discussion, one of them stepped forward to speak._

_"As none of the lords are present, the hierarchy is useless to us at the moment. Under Death's orders, in a case of emergency such as this, a title of lordship should be granted temporarily to the demon of highest rank who remains present and fit to serve."_

_A long pause._

_"...and that would be you."_

* * *

Galamoth sits on the circle, staring down at the inscriptions that had brought him there.

It has been there the whole time. Yes, the circle reads "Galamoth" elsewhere, most likely for practical purposes, but the key is there. His name, written along one of the sides, in his race's own script. Among the other runes, it almost blends in perfectly.

The imp looks on in confusion. "Is there something wrong with the circle?"

Galamoth doesn't look up. "No. It's perfectly right."

How much do these humans know? And what about the demons? Is this why he is in captivity? Do they intend to exploit him? Question him? And how did they find out in the first place? Did another ship arrive on the surface? Maybe they were the ones pulling the strings, after finding out about his failure...

...why is he thinking like this? None of them have treated him like anything more than an important demon. They haven't spent their time staring at him. He already knows why he's in captivity: they want a pact. They aren't getting one, but that is not the point. There is a more practical reason for what is going on, and he intends to prove...

"She's here!"

Galamoth looks up at the imp, and then past him. Celia enters the room confidently. She looks like she may have been in a scuffle or two, but she appears uninjured.

As she walks up to the side of the summoning circle, she shakes her head in disbelief. "I will never understand why you stand so adamantly against pacts. Must you distrust us so much, Galamoth?"

Galamoth glares at her. "You say that, and yet you do not trust me enough to let me aid you on my own terms, even in a time of need."

Celia's expression remains calm. "We are both capable of betrayal. But I strongly suspect that you are capable of far more damage than us."

"You suspect that I am dangerous." He eyes her with curiosity. "I agree with your assessment, but I must ask nonetheless. Just how much do you think you know about me?"

Celia takes a step away from the circle, reciting an incantation under her breath as she keeps her eyes fixed upon Galamoth. Then, without any change in expression, she immolates the imp. In a high-pitched shriek, it is reduced to ash.

* * *

_The demons insisted that Galamoth should hold a meeting to discuss the current troubles that had befallen them. He still wasn't sure what had happened in his absence, so he felt it was probably the best way to figure out the chain of events._

_He took a seat in the main room, facing the other demons, and began. "I do not know why Thanatos has abandoned us, but I am certain that he has done so. Considering the lack of other representatives, I have no choice but to assume temporary leadership until the problem can be identified and resolved."_

_The demons responded in a positive manner. Galamoth sighed to himself. It felt awkward having the others specifically think of him as their leader, rather than as a role model. Only time would tell whether or not he would be able to fill the role to their satisfaction._

_"The first point of order should be to find the other lords. I suggest that we send a scout team to Dracula's castle, wherever it is. If the war is still occurring, we need to aid in its conclusion. If it is over, then perhaps..."_

_A demon in the back interrupted him. "My lord?"_

_Galamoth looked through the crowd, trying to spot the speaker. "Yes?"_

_"We have no portal."_

_"What?"_

_"After Death summoned the others, the portal closed. It has not opened since."_

_"How did you manage the war effort, then?"_

_"We didn't. We were cut off completely. We still are."_

_Galamoth paused for a moment to consider what this meant. "So we can't find the others. We can't get materials. We can't contact the humans. We don't even have the means to tell if the war is still going on. Anything else I should know?"_

_Another demon, this time closer to the front, spoke. "We have not been receiving any souls, either."_

_"What?" Galamoth's voice was unsteady now. "He hasn't even been reaping?"_

_"We told you. We haven't seen him since he left."_

_He looked at the group incredulously. "Wait. Does that mean that... nothing can die?"_

_A pause. Then several responses at once._

_"I don't know." "It is entirely possible." "Death never explained it to us."_

_Galamoth took a deep breath. "Let me make sure that I understand the situation. We are the only demons that remain here. No one can leave. No one can enter. No one can die. We will soon run out of materials, and then we will have nothing left but ourselves. The underworld will remain stagnant and meaningless for the remainder of existence."_

_None of the demons said anything. There was truth in his words, and it was a truth that they would rather not admit. Then one demon spoke up._

_"Unless Death comes back... yes."_

_Galamoth continued. "And yet, somehow, I managed to come back. I was the only one to do so. Thanatos must have arranged for this... knowing I'd be the highest ranked one here... so I could see this... see Rebecca... and lead... utter... desolation... uselessly... forever..."_

_He couldn't hold his emotions back any longer._

_**"AAAARRRRRRRGH!"**_

_Complete silence. Most of the demons started backing away from him again. He didn't pay any attention to them, being lost in his own words._

_"What is... I can't... This is __**impossible!**__ Not only has he abandoned us, but he has abandoned us in a hopeless manner!"_

_"Lord Galamoth..."_

_"He wanted me to witness this! He wanted me to suffer! That's the only possible explanation why he would set up our entire civilization to collapse and throw me in the middle of it!"_

_"Are you okay, Lord Ga..."_

_"__**I AM NOT A LORD!**__ I have never been fit to be a lord, and he knew it!"_

_"We don't think..."_

_"And I can't believe that he's willing to make you all suffer as part of his personal revenge! This is __**worse**__ than Dracula's war! He has doomed his own people! Deliberately! What kind of leader does that? I'm glad he's gone! I hope he never returns! If that bastard ever shows his skull here again, __**I WILL DESTROY HIM MYSELF!**__"_

_He was close to losing it. He knew this. No demon in his right mind would have ever suggested killing Thanatos, under any circumstances._

_Realization dawned._

_He really could, couldn't he? Thanatos had fought in almost every war back in the day. And he had lost every time. To humans. Even his ability to control souls was insufficient to defeat the ones who threatened his master._

_Galamoth had always been taken by surprise. What if he had challenged Thanatos on his own terms? He could have overpowered him. He had the superior magical ability. Thanatos showed more weapon finesse, but what was that worth against a brawler?_

_If he had shown any initiative, he could have conquered the entirety of hell centuries ago! The other demons were pushovers compared to him! Their only strength was in numbers! And even the humans had always succeeded against them!_

_Adrian was a sticking point. He had been defeated by the dhampir twice. But now that he thought about it, he realized that Adrian was the __**only**__ one who had ever defeated him alone in a fair fight. He had even defeated his father on multiple occasions, correct? And if the son was stronger than the father... there was no longer any reason to believe that Galamoth wasn't!_

_He had gained the trust of the demons. They had a portal available during every previous war. All he would have had to do was overpower them and use it! He could have gone to Dracula's castle and beaten down the dark lord himself! Why bother protesting Dracula's approach to the war when he could have stopped it by force? Adrian had done the same thing! So had Hector! Why hadn't he?_

_A girl's voice could be heard. "I miss the Frozen Half."_

_Galamoth temporarily abandoned his dreams of grandeur to find that he was no longer surrounded by the demons. They had all moved across the room, and were staring at him with looks of utter terror. And one of them, a young witch, was on the verge of tears._

_"He listened to her. She calmed him down. She kept us safe from him."_

_And there was the answer. For centuries, the demons had been feeding his ego. They had convinced him that they liked him, and he had liked them in turn. Rebecca herself was instrumental in this plan. Any time he had come close to the point of standing up for himself, she had stopped him._

_It was so obvious now. The demons could not defeat him. They knew it. Yet they had managed to win the conflict, simply by convincing him not to fight them._

_**They had turned him into a wimp!**_

* * *

The ashes of the former imp settle on the floor of the castle.

Galamoth glares at Celia. "What was that for?"

Celia shrugs. "Demons don't die. You'll see him again later, I'm sure. Right now, I want you to watch carefully."

His eyes turn to the ashes. From within, he can see a glow. As he watches, the spiritual form of the imp rises, looking at Galamoth with a look of surprise on his face.

Galamoth is unsurprised. Ever since Soma Cruz had claimed him a year ago, he has learned far more about souls than he had ever expected to know. And there is the soul of the imp before him. It beckons to him. He knows what he wants to do.

He looks at Celia. She is watching him intently. As she notices his gaze on her, her mouth turns upward in a smile. He wonders why.

And then the imp's soul starts to be attracted by an outside force. It tries to fly away, but the wings are now metaphysical and useless for travel. Instead, it is pulled quickly in the direction of the entrance, where it is absorbed by the man who has been standing there for the last few seconds.

Dmitrii walks into the room. "Hello again."

Galamoth gapes at Celia. "I thought he died!"

Dmitrii gives him a half-smile. "For a long time, so did I."

Celia's smile is brighter than previously known possible. "What you have just observed in action is the power of dominance. Before this day, I had only seen this power wielded by two individuals: Dracula and Soma."

She gives Galamoth a curtsy. "King of hell, I present to you your new dark lord."

* * *

_Galamoth lay on his back in the library, eyes closed, body quivering rapidly from tension. Four iron golems had accompanied him to the room, and they were currently weighting his arms and legs to the floor. It was the same thing they had done on his first day in hell. But this time, he had ordered the action himself. It was all he could do to keep himself from snapping and attacking everyone else in hell right then and there._

_Demons can't die? He had heard that repeatedly since he had arrived. But if that was the case, __**then why was Rebecca dead in his room?**__ He was not about to take that risk. In fact, he had specifically avoided being confined to that room, because the sight of her probably would have sent him over the edge before the iron golems could even finish their preparations._

_Besides, he remembered the fleaman. Some fates could be worse than death._

_How could the demons have done this to him? For over five centuries, they had been constantly weakening his resolve to lead, keeping him confined in the underworld, and refusing to let him take any action in the war, whether for or against Dracula. Even the one time they had let him fight, they pitted him against the one person who had been proven to defeat him in the past!_

_And now they had given him a leadership position, right at the moment when it no longer mattered! And now they were expecting him to solve problems that he was no longer equipped to handle, but could have prevented centuries ago if they had given him a chance!_

_Worst of all, he was now being confronted by several demons who felt it was somehow their duty to convince him that he was wrong about them._

_"Most of the others are still gathered by the passageway."_

_"What are they doing?"_

_"Waiting. They're worried about him. They want to know that everything is okay."_

_"It's not okay", Galamoth growled as calmly as he could manage given the circumstances. "They should get back to their own business."_

_One demon, who had taken up a sitting position on Galamoth's chest, sighed. "You said it yourself. They no longer have any business. Not unless Death comes back."_

_"He's not coming back", Galamoth said. "Not unless he decides that I've suffered enough."_

_"There has to be more to it than that", one demon said. "He wouldn't do this just to hurt one demon. If he wanted you to suffer, he'd just throw you into the other half, right?"_

_Galamoth sighed. "Go ahead. Tell me about the other half. You mentioned it before."_

_The demon became uneasy. "Well... Death gathers human souls, right? Well, most of them get thrown in there to get tortured."_

_"For what purpose?"_

_"I'm not sure. The popular opinion is that they're evil and they deserve it."_

_Galamoth gave a short sarcastic laugh, which made the demon on his chest jump slightly. "They should be happy, then. They're not being brought here any more. It must be better to sit around doing nothing for eternity than to be tortured." He sighed. "I know from experience."_

_"Please stop talking like that."_

_"Why should I? None of you know what it's like! To be trapped in hell, unable to leave..."_

_"We're in that situation right now. We've been in it repeatedly for centuries."_

_"But not while everyone else could leave!"_

_A loud, ponderous voice came from near one of his limbs. One of the iron golems, most likely. "It was Dracula's decision. Thanatos agreed."_

_Galamoth shook his head. "As if Thanatos ever disagreed with him!"_

_"So we're in agreement!", a demon shouted. "Death screwed you over! There's not much we can do about that!"_

_"Can't find it", a voice said from the bookshelves. "There's no book called Thanatos here."_

_"Damn!" Galamoth cursed. He had been hoping, at the very least, to figure out something about Thanatos that would explain his recent behavior. Something other than the Crimson Stone, anyway. That bit of information only managed to redirect the blame..._

_But the book was gone._

_"Too bad", said one of the demons. "We really need him back."_

_Another demon raised its voice. "No! We don't! We don't need anyone who would do this to us! We need a new leader! A better leader!"_

_A quiet voice. "...we need Galamoth."_

_Galamoth grumbled loudly. They were trying it again..._

_"Excuse me?" This voice had a rattle in its jaw. It must have been a skeleton. "You mean this Galamoth? The one we're forcibly restraining? I have trouble believing he's better than Thanatos right about now."_

_The quiet demon didn't back down. "He once told me... the war could have ended, and everyone could have been happy, if Dracula could have just forgiven the humans for killing his wife. He said that to Death, too. If we needed Dracula, we needed the Dracula that existed before Lisa died."_

_Galamoth felt a hand touching the side of his shoulder. "And now we need the Galamoth that existed before the Frozen Half died. Please give him back to us."_

_Galamoth remained silent for a long time. He was thinking just like Dracula, wasn't he? None of these demons killed her. None of them had the motive to bring hell to its ruin. Thanatos... probably. His anger should be reserved for him, if anyone. And yet..._

_Galamoth opened his eyes. "I will try to be civil." Then, after a pause, he closed them again. "It will not be enough. I can still do nothing." He sighed. "We needed Thanatos. Even when he was not fit to lead... he was still able to keep things running."_

_A demon on his right sighed to herself. "You'd think there'd be more demons down here who can claim souls."_

_"There are", another demon responded. "But it's no good if you can't reach the surface."_

_Galamoth grimaced. "I cannot do this. Find another demon to take over in my stead. I am unfit to lead."_

_The demon on his chest readjusted his weight. "What? Do you think we are? What makes you think you are less appropriate than us?"_

_Galamoth sighed in exasperation. "You simply do not understand. I've been here too long... everything you have done... I'm no longer strong enough to command you. A leader needs to be powerful, confident, knowledgeable, willing to do whatever it takes to succeed... everyone here changed me... you made sure I am no longer capable of these things. I have become a servant, not a leader. I need someone to serve. Unless you choose such a person, I am..."_

_The demon on his chest stood up. "That does it! I have had enough of this!" He raised his arm to the sky and produced a large spear. As the other demons stared in shock, he raised it above his head and brought it down, sticking directly into Galamoth's chest._

* * *

Galamoth crosses his arms. "I am not the king of hell."

Celia stares at him in a look somewhere between confusion and disbelief. "We were told that you were. Do you not lead the demons?"

"We lost our leader. I only fill the position due to necessity."

"Then we are not in error. We did not summon the wrong demon. You are the one in charge. You are the one who must come with us."

Galamoth looks at her angrily. "I am still not forming a pact."

Dmitrii sighs. "I really don't think he..."

"I know", Celia responds. "We'll have to do things his way." And with a quick yet complicated gesture, the summoning circle is removed.

In an instant, Galamoth's arm lashes out, seizes her, and holds her tightly in front of his face. "You know, human, I had considerably less reason to kill you before you started treating me like your prisoner."

Celia can only stare in shock at him. Dmitrii's voice finds itself. "We need her for the ritual. Don't do anything stupid."

Galamoth continues to look at Celia, not facing him. "If you do as I say, she may escape with her life." He tightens his grip slightly to punctuate his threat. "You have been claiming the souls of the demons. Explain."

Dmitrii shrugs. "It's the power of domin..."

"I know about your power of dominance! Tell me what this means for them! These demons were summoned to aid you! They are not merely sacrifices for your personal gain! We seek a dark lord to lead us, not to exploit us!"

Dmitrii looks at him for a moment, and then shrugs again and holds out his hand. As he unfolds his fingers, the imp's soul is once again perching on it. He looks frightened, but unharmed.

"I can release them whenever I desire. If you do not wish for them to be eternal slaves, that can be arranged."

"Dracula's power is chaotic but strong", Celia adds weakly. "He needs to be equally powerful to overcome it until it recognizes him as its new master. We need the souls until then. Once he is truly the dark lord, we can return your minions to you."

Galamoth looks at her warily, and then nods. "Dracula's power. Where is it?"

"We were about to take you to it."

He tightens his grip one more time. "And what about your source?"

She winces in pain, then speaks again. "My source?"

"Someone told you who I am! Someone said I led the demons! Someone knew my true name, a name I have never spoken or written in my entire existence as a demon! I demand to be informed of your contact's identity!"

She sighs and looked away. Dmitrii's expression is suspiciously blank.

"He's here, isn't he?" He does a small gesture with his free hand, which causes his finger to catch fire. He brings Celia closer to his face and slowly moves the finger toward her neck. "Death has been helping you the entire time, hasn't he? Bring me to him!"

She can do nothing but sweat nervously.

"You'll meet him along the way", Dmitrii says calmly. "This way, if you will."

The human turns and casually walks out of the room. Without releasing his grip on the woman, Galamoth follows him, passing through the walls whenever the human-sized doorways prove to be an obstacle.

* * *

_Galamoth opened his eyes in anger at the demon who had just stabbed him. The iron golems redoubled their efforts to keep him from moving._

_**"How dare you!"**_

_The demon pulled the spear out, lifted it up again, and plunged it into a different spot. "How's this for you? Look at me! I'm challenging your authority!" He kept striking at different spots. "I'm swinging as hard as I possibly can! I'm not holding back! Can you feel my violent rage? At all? Even a nick? I think you may actually be bleeding if I look closely!"_

_Galamoth started shaking again. He was either being threatened or mocked, and he couldn't quite figure out which. Either way, this demon was testing his patience._

_The demon ended his assault by lifting his spear and throwing it directly at Galamoth's head. It struck the forward-pointing horn and bounced off ineffectually._

_"There! I've done my worst! Now I demand my punishment!"_

_Galamoth took the bait easily. Unfortunately, the iron golem continued to hold his arm down._

_"I mean it! Release him! All of you! I refuse to allow my actions to go without repercussions!"_

_The iron golems didn't let go. Galamoth glared at them. "Do it."_

_"What are you doing?" one of the demons yelled. "He'll slaughter you!"_

_"He probably will!" the formerly spear-wielding demon said. "I deserve it! I tried my hardest to hurt him! Any other outcome would be unacceptable!"_

_"But you'll..."_

_"No! I won't! We can't die! Yet he can still hurt me a lot! Burn me to a crisp, pound me into the floor or any one of the walls, rip me to shreds... he could devour me whole! If he wanted to, I think he could even destroy the walls and bring this whole place crashing down on us! And look at him! My attacks barely scratched him! What was I thinking, trying to take him on?"_

_"Will you stop that?"_

_"And yet__** he has the nerve to claim that he is weak?**__"_

_Galamoth finally managed to get the iron golems to release him. He seized the demon with one hand, and..._

_"This is why I am weak!" Galamoth growled. "Because I am not willing to try to kill you! And when I am willing, it is at a time when I am too irrational to lead!"_

_"Good!" the demon shouted in response. "No one wants to follow a leader who desires to kill his own people!"_

_Without a word, Galamoth tossed him to the ground. "This is stupid."_

_"What if I had been a major threat? What if I had been striking the demons down around you? What if my spear ripped through your chest and you had to struggle to move? Would you have fought any harder?"_

_Galamoth glared at him. "Yes! I would! Demons like that deserve my wrath! I don't have to be a slave to my weakness then!"_

_"What weakness? You intend to deliver punishment to those that threaten you and others, and you do not intend to do so to the innocent and powerless? I don't know about you, but that sounds like an ideal leader!"_

_Galamoth grew more impatient. With a quick motion, his hand pinned the demon to the ground. "Who do you think you are to tell me what_

_Draghignazzo. Italian for "big dragon". Demon of hell, first officially described in "The Divine Comedy" by Dante Aligheri. Depicted as punishing those who sold public office by throwing them into tar. Currently stationed in the underworld, training in flying spear-based combat and_

_"Stop that! Why is this happening?"_

_"My lord?"_

_"Why do I know your name and literary history?"_

_"And look! You even know who you're talking to! You didn't think you could spend so much time reading books and not actually learn things, did you?"_

_"What's wrong with Galamoth?"_

_"He's going through a tough time. It sounds like Death wanted to make him suffer."_

_"But what about us?"_

_Galamoth looked around himself warily. No one else in the room was talking._

_"Is he going to kill us?"_

_"He gets angry, but I don't think he'd go that far."_

_"But he's scary. He could easily trample us!"_

_"Daddy, are we going to be okay?"_

_"I don't know, honey."_

_"Where's Mommy?"_

_"Thanatos, where are you? The battle's been over for days now."_

_Galamoth collapsed on his hands and knees. His head was starting to throb in pain._

_"Do you think Galamoth can lead us?"_

_"After seeing him today, I don't know."_

_"My cough... it's gone... I feel a lot better now..."_

_"What is happening to me?"_

_The pain became too much. Galamoth collapsed flat on his face. Draghignazzo was able to move out of the way in time._

_"We're demons. We're not supposed to die. Are we?"_

_"I wish the Frozen Half was here."_

_"Galamoth. This is my fault. Learn from my mistake."_

_"I can't feel my legs."_

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Nice going, Draggy. You just made him snap."_

_"I didn't mean to hurt her... why did she..."_

_"I wish the portal was open."_

_"You were on the right track. Find the book. It is there."_

_Galamoth paused. What was that?_

_"Death, what have you done?"_

_"I can't believe he shot me!"_

_"Can we help him?"_

_"Will we ever see the sun again?"_

_"Please get us home. The solar eclipse is gone."_

_"You must relax. You cannot allow yourself to be overwhelmed."_

_"It wasn't supposed to end this way!"_

_"If Galamoth can't lead, who's next in line?"_

_"Does it matter anymore?"_

_"His backup plan... what did he mean?"_

_"You once said the same thing to Rebecca, correct?"_

_And Galamoth took a deep breath, and relaxed, and all was silent._

* * *

The room Dmitrii and Galamoth have entered has what looks like a field of pure chaos energy on the ground.

Dmitrii turns to Galamoth. "She needs to remove the barrier. Release her."

Galamoth shakes his head. "She can unsummon me. She can cast a spell on..."

"Yes, I can", she says weakly. "You can also crush me in your hand. Or stomp on him. But I won't, and you shouldn't. Because we both know we want to finish this, and we still need to help each other."

Galamoth sighs and sets her on the ground. "I don't like this."

She smiles as she starts casting an incantation. "You know, I've dealt with far less sociable demons than you."

He looks at her suspiciously. "If you felt that way, why didn't you release me immediately upon summoning?"

She thinks for a moment. "We..."

"Galamoth", says Dmitrii. "Are you familiar with the phrase that the end justifies the means?"

The demon nods. Celia winces and starts whispering to him. "Dmitrii, don't..."

"It's better that we tell him."

"We want him to continue to help us."

"If we can convince him to accept this, that won't be a risk."

Galamoth crosses his arms. "I can hear every word that you are saying."

Dmitrii steps forward. "Look, it's simple. You know how this plan requires the souls of demons?" Galamoth nods. "We wished to make sure that you didn't get in the way when we were killing some of them ourselves."

Before Galamoth can get angry, Celia joins in. "It was necessary. You'll get them back later. They didn't suffer. Soma killed all the major demons. We needed minor demons to counterbalance him."

Galamoth is only partially placated. "The demons will not look back on this fondly. They may seek revenge."

Dmitrii ponders for a moment. "Is it more appropriate to apologize, or to say that the dark lord does not need to apologize to his minions?"

Rather than answer that, Galamoth moves on to the next question. "When did this happen? I've watched your actions so far, and I've never seen you turn on any of the demons."

Celia shrugs. "Isn't it obvious? We wanted you to be in the summoning circle before we started."

_And when he awoke, Galamoth found himself surrounded by the demons again._

_Only, this time, there was something odd about them. Something... otherworldly. Even the former humans had this effect. They glowed faintly, and they would occasionally move in ways that should not be physically possible._

_The others were still in the main room. Even at this distance, he could recognize all of them. And hear what they were saying._

_And then he realized that there were more elsewhere. Far above him, in the sky, approximately where a solar eclipse would have taken place several days ago, there was a massive crowd of demons. He knew most of them. All of the lords were there. And they were... waiting._

_And there were others waiting all over the surface. Waiting for what, they did not know..._

"What for?" Galamoth asks.

Celia looks at him with a smug look on her face. "You didn't think we knew? It's easier to claim them when you can't interfere."

_Thanatos had said something about his book. The demons had looked for it, but failed to find it. Galamoth could not blame them._

_After all, it was currently in his room. The one Malphas told him about. No hallways led there, he had said. He had to wonder how he could construct a room like that._

_It didn't matter. Galamoth headed into the room and picked up the book immediately. And underneath, he found more paper with writing on it._

_Thanatos's handwriting._

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Galamoth exclaims. "I saw the portals earlier! You were trying to summon Death! Yet you had him already?"

Dmitrii shakes his head. "Death never responded to our summon. We had to get all of our information from Thanatos."

_And there, on the pages, was a detailed account of the entire backup plan. Galamoth had figured out most of it by this time, but it was good to know that his theories had been confirmed._

_Death knew the war was a bad idea. He saw what it was doing to the demons. And despite all this, he could not stop it from happening._

_The war was Dracula's idea. And Thanatos therefore had to obey him. He couldn't resist the Crimson Stone. He was a slave to his pact._

_And the war of 1999 came and went, and Thanatos realized that his pact would not be fulfilled, even after Dracula had died. His essence still existed, and Thanatos found himself drawn to and driven by the chaotic power. Being a slave to chaos caused him to slowly become insane._

_With no other choice, he decided to sacrifice himself. He had to obey Dracula. But no one said that hell had to obey him. Thus, he did the only thing he could do to keep the underworld from collapsing entirely._

_He surrendered his position to a successor._

Celia smiles and finishes. "And Thanatos told us that Death was more likely to respond to the name of Galamoth."

_Accompanied by a number of the demons, Galamoth slowly strode into the room that was his own. It was still in the same shape that Thanatos had left it in._

_He picked up the note again and reread it. / He sought end of demon life. You seek death as well. Finish the job. /_

_Thanatos would have thought that, wouldn't he? After the invasion, and his attempt to force all of the souls that he called demons to obey him, why wouldn't Thanatos think that Galamoth's ultimate goal was to usurp his position?_

_He sought Death._

_And over the past five hundred years, he had not only prevented Galamoth from taking the position by force, but he had slowly molded him into the kind of demon that would deserve the position in the first place..._

_Without a word, Galamoth grabbed the sickle that continued to stick out of Rebecca's chest, and pushed it in deeper. And, in a single motion, he pulled it in a manner that caused it to slice through the entirety of Rebecca's body. As it traveled along her length, her body seemed to be drawn into the blade itself. Finally the sickle reached the end of its trip, leaving no remnants of her form to be seen._

_He lifted the weapon to take a closer look at it. No blood. She had been reaped. Just as Thanatos had planned._

_One of the demons finally said something. "What does this mean for us?"_

_Galamoth turned to face them. "I do not know. We will discuss it later. For now, I must bring the others home."_

_And he vanished, only to appear at the former site of the castle, where the other demon souls remained. He looked at the sickle in his hand, and it took the form of several other implements. In the end, he settled for a sword, one that resembled the one he had used against Adrian on the day he first tried to take the souls for his own._

_Claiming the demon souls was easy. All it took was one swing. They had even clustered for him to save time._

_Upon his instantaneous return to hell, he released them all. Hell was finally filled with demons again, and the lords were back._

_Two were not. Thanatos was not among the souls he had claimed. And he couldn't find Rebecca, either. Considering the range of his ability to sense them, he could only conclude that this meant he would never see them again. They were gone. Forever._

_Demons can't die, he thought. And yet they had._

* * *

And now Thanatos floats in front of him again.

The past year has not been good for him. His manner is no longer refined, his scythe looks to be a more mundane design, and he is lacking a great deal of power that he had possessed before. Galamoth wonders momentarily where the power came from. It was not innate to Thanatos; at least, no more innate than it currently is to him. It's almost as if someone else _wanted_ a demon to claim the souls of humanity.

"You are doing well", Thanatos manages.

He doesn't have to ask Thanatos how he knew he was an alien. First of all, he doesn't feel the need for anyone else to know. Second, he already knows. Somehow, he is capable of remembering the life history of every demon in hell, even those he has never read, and Thanatos would have had the same knowledge.

Very well, he thinks. Ask him something I don't know.

"Why? Why did you force me to kill Rebecca?" Galamoth responds with considerably more force.

"You read the note..."

"It made no sense! 'He sought end of demon life'? She never lifted a finger against any of them!"

"He should have never become a demon."

"How dare you?" Galamoth exclaims. "She was a better demon than most!"

"He was unfit for the task. You, too, came close..."

Galamoth's eyes widen.

* * *

_Galamoth eventually realized that he was expected to reap the humans as well._

_This experience was new for him. Despite the stories that Rebecca and the witches had told him, and the multitudes of books on the subject, he had never actually visited any human civilization that wasn't Dracula's castle._

_The rolling hills of the 15th century still existed, but there were now more human dwellings upon them now. Taller ones, too, containing far more humans. He had not expected this complication. How would he manage to reap the souls with any haste?_

_He looked at his weapon of choice, which he had decided to make into a scepter in honor of his memory of Rebecca, and looked up at the buildings._

_Death was capable of many things. He could levitate, although Galamoth had rarely tried that except in cases of retrieving demons. He could teleport and travel through surfaces, which was standard procedure for the duty. And he could take on many forms._

_

* * *

_

_The soul of a man who had committed suicide in his 21st story apartment continued to stare at his deceased body, wondering if he had made the right decision. His family had cried, and the police would be along any minute, and he realized that he would no longer be bringing in the money necessary to support his loved ones. Odd, he thought. He thought that death would have been the end of his worries._

_He turned to look out the window, only to see a giant glowing blue eye blocking his view. He screamed and fell to the floor in the manner of a soul who didn't realize that he no longer had an actual body._

_As he watched, the eye slowly moved away to reveal that it belonged to a giant humanoid lizard of over 200 feet in height. The beast raised his scepter to the sky and swung it in a circle, at which point he could see hundreds of people like himself floating into the air to alight upon the staff. Including himself._

_As the creature vanished instantly into the night, he started to wonder at what point Godzilla had become his savior._

_

* * *

_

_That may not have been the best approach, Galamoth pondered as he returned to the depths of hell. He would need to develop his strategy._

_As he considered what he was supposed to do to release all the souls, one of the demons who had been helpfully reciting Thanatos's standard operating procedure to him reminded him that he needed to deliver this batch to the other side. Galamoth thanked him and headed there._

_...the place was grotesque. The area looked like a single room, with a massive ceiling and walls so far in the distance that he could not see them with normal sight. A pool of lava covered much of the floor, with multiple stone outcroppings and islands in sight. Demons were common here, but what caught Galamoth's eye was the sheer massive amount of humans in the area. And they were... suffering. Many were trapped in the lava. Others were attacked by demons. Others suffered less violent fates, but nothing there was anything that he would have enjoyed._

_A giant red demon with wings approached him. And for the first time in his existence, Galamoth considered, the word "giant" was justified. He was twice Galamoth's height. An imp had once spoken of demons like this._

_"So what are you in for?"_

_Galamoth shook his head. "I am not staying here. Thanatos assigned me to take over for him." He pointed to the scepter. "Where do these souls go?"_

_The demon pointed to himself, and then demonstrated._

_Galamoth's eyes widened._

* * *

He resorts to his usual method to get the mental images out of his head. They all deserve it. They all deserve it...

No. Rebecca could not have gone there. While he has tried to ignore that area as much as possible, he is still aware of the souls that are present there. Rebecca was not one of them.

Celia and Dmitrii, who had tried to follow the conversation up until the point when they realized that the two reapers were incapable of settling on a single gender pronoun, proceed into the doorway that Thanatos has guarded. Galamoth follows them soon afterward, leaving all accusations unfinished.

"How did he get here?" Galamoth asks.

Celia ponders briefly. "We had to move Dracula's power to the castle in order to access it. He came with it. I think he may have a direct link."

A direct link, Galamoth thinks. So he is unable to detect the soul because it has nothing to do with him. Interesting to know.

They start traveling through an area that Celia calls the abyss. It vaguely resembles the darker half of hell, except with less lava and fewer suffering people. Galamoth feels the need to ask.

"I suppose this counts as an outpost of hell", Celia answers. "The demons here are all loyal to Dracula, just like Thanatos. We should not let on that the dark lord will not be him. They want him to return."

"Thanatos doesn't want Dracula to return", Galamoth mutters.

"He does", she replies. "He has made it clear enough times."

"No. He believes that Dracula must return. He seeks Dracula's return. But he doesn't want Dracula to return."

Dmitrii stares at Galamoth in confusion. "What?"

"He is no longer Death because he seeks Dracula's return and doesn't want it, because Dracula has pushed him around against his will and he has agreed with it."

"Is this some kind of demon humor?"

Galamoth finally fails to control his temper. "You keep asking me why I do not want to form a pact? There's your answer! He thought that a pact was a good idea! And so he spent the rest of his existence watching the underworld collapse around him because his master made irrational decisions and he had no choice but to obey them!"

"Poor thing", Celia says to herself.

Galamoth sighs. "Let's get this over with. No pacts. You make him into the dark lord, I'll help you, he gets the benefits of the position, we get our leader, you get whatever nonsense you were saying about true good, and we go our separate ways until we meet again. Agreed?"

"You know", Dmitrii says, "a pact is really nothing more than an agreement with a certain degree of obligation. Protesting pacts in general sounds like the words of someone who desires to not live up to their side."

Galamoth glares at him. "That is not my intent."

"It sounds more to me like you are unhappy with the terms."

* * *

_Galamoth was bored._

_When he had come to this planet, he sought to take control of it for his people. And now he had control of the underworld, and there was nothing he could do with it._

_It was no longer hopeless. Souls arrived. Demons interacted. And the world moved on around them. But it was aimless. There was no hope for improvement or expansion or human interaction or anything that made it worthwhile to be a demon._

_He had kept the hierarchy the way Thanatos created it, and even suggested that their decisions should take priority over his own. He was not very good at making command decisions or planning for the long term, and the lords had such experience in abundance. While he preferred to be informed, he trusted their consensus more than his own judgment._

_Some humans had said that the people who want to rule should be kept from ruling at all costs. That certainly had been the case with him. And now that everyone was convinced that he could rule, he no longer wanted anything to do with it._

_He went back to the library and pulled out a familiar book. "War of the Worlds". He then brought it back to the room that once belonged to Thanatos._

_He never expected anything like this to happen when he arrived. He thought he would either succeed at conquering the planet, and be recognized as a hero by his people, or he would fail and he would never have to think about the consequences._

_Even now, he started to feel alone in the world. Rebecca was not the perfect mate, but she had sufficed. And now he found himself wanting, and he..._

_It was at that moment when he felt the presence of something. Something he had not felt in a year, and something that terrified him._

_Dracula's power. It was not gone forever, not even after Soma refused it. It still rested out there, begging for a master. And it had moved. Someone sought to use it. Dracula could be reborn..._

_...and if Dracula was reborn, Galamoth would be deprived of his position, quite possibly deprived of life, even more probably dumped into the other half, where the demons who were not considered useful spent their eternities suffering..._

_Galamoth started to panic._

_...Thanatos had abandoned the position. Perhaps he had died. Perhaps not. But he had managed to avoid the trap of his existence by passing his duties on to another demon._

_Maybe, just maybe, Galamoth could do the same. He could go home. The power of Death would allow him to arrive there safely, and then he could relinquish it. He could live a normal life again, and someone else could take over for him here._

_Someone else? The method by which Thanatos had prepared Galamoth was torturous. There had to be another way._

_Maybe this wasn't as bad as it seemed. Maybe it would work out. Maybe a Belmont would arrive just in time._

_He looked at the two books in the room. "Thanatos". "War of the Worlds". Was he Death, or was he an alien? He would have to decide shortly._

_At the very least, he needed to prepare. Thanatos succeeded in passing the torch because he had a backup plan. Galamoth needed to make one, and fast._

_In the end, he settled for starting out the same way Thanatos did: by making sure that another demon would hear his life story, and would know why he was being selected for the task. He took a piece of paper and began to write._

_'If you are reading these words, consider yourself fortunate...'_

* * *

Eventually the three reach the room where the ritual is to take place. The bodies of humans are everywhere.

"Are these bodies or souls?" Dmitrii asks.

"Bodies, I think", Celia responds. "They're perfect for sacrificial purposes."

Galamoth does a quick check to see if he can claim any of them, and then nods in confirmation. "How will this ritual take place?"

"It is straightforward", Celia explains. "Dracula's power is strong here. I will make the preparations. At the time of sacrifice, the power will flow into one with the power of dominance. That will be Dmitrii here. Then he shall become the dark lord."

"What about Soma? Is he still alive?"

"It is just as well if he interferes. Certainly, Dmitrii will have more claim to the title if the leading candidate is eliminated."

"And what is my task?"

Dmitrii has a slightly guilty sound in his voice. "It's one pact. We really do need it. I'll even negotiate the terms if you like."

Galamoth sighs in annoyance. "What is it that you need?"

"I need your power."

"What?"

"We've figured out the details", Celia interjects. "Dario and Agni did the same thing. The two remained separate entities, but their spirits were tied and their powers were combined. Dario was able to defeat the Belmont this way."

"The dark lord simply cannot exist without Death's blessing", Dmitrii adds. "And this way, I will also have enough innate power to keep Dracula's essence from overwhelming me."

"So what are the terms?"

"Simple. She will cast an enchantment to bind our spirits together. The bind will be broken upon the death of either of us, or approximately... thirty minutes after my inception as the dark lord. That should be enough time for my body to ensure that it will not be overwhelmed upon your release."

Celia nods. "I can do this."

Galamoth has expected something like this. But the way the two describe it... it may not be so bad after all. It certainly sounded worthwhile if it was a mandatory step on the road to creating the new dark lord.

...did Thanatos feel the same way? Did he fall to the same trick? He can't shake the thought.

...then he remembers something else. "A Belmont was here?"

"Soma did not come alone", Celia answers. "There is also a Belmont, a Belnades, and..."

"Stop."

The three turn toward to the entrance to see a dark-haired man standing before them. All three recognize him immediately.

"Genya!" shouts Celia.

"Alucard..." notes Dmitrii.

"Adrian!" roars Galamoth.

"I will not allow this to continue", Genya says, drawing his sword. "You will not succeed in your plan."

Galamoth immediately rushes forward to stand in Genya's way. "What are you doing here? Why are you interfering?"

"Start the enchantment", Dmitrii hisses to Celia. She nods and begins the spell.

Genya shakes his head. "I thought you had realized that the war was over. Why do you persist?"

Galamoth kneels down to address him directly. "It is necessary for the other demons to have a leader. Without one, all that awaits them is obsolescence."

"Then the suffering will continue. You leave me no choice."

"Agree to the pact!" Celia hisses in his direction.

Galamoth stands, nods, steps away from his opponent, and turns to face the other two. "I ag..."

Without hesitation, Genya releases a trio of fireballs from his suit jacket, aimed in the direction of Celia. Just before they reach her, Galamoth takes a step to the right and blocks them with his body. He roars in pain, and they leave notable burn marks, but he remains standing. "I agree."

And the pact is formed. Dmitrii now stands before the disguised dhampir, magical aura bolstered through the presence of souls. Above him, the spirit of Galamoth lingers, with the dark aura of death inherent in his existence.

"No..." Genya says to himself.

Galamoth cannot describe the feeling. It is like he has taken the form of a six-foot human, yet continues to bear the strength of a thirty-foot demon. He can feel many souls within him; the souls of many of his compatriots in hell. He has carried a number of them within the past year, but this is the first time that he feels like he can actually control them and draw from their power.

And, as the battle rages on, he realizes something even more significant: between his natural strength, Dmitrii's souls, and the innate power of Death, he is actually winning against Adrian. And once he realizes that Dmitrii had taken the souls of several Rycudas, noble birds known for their mastery of lightning, his opponent no longer stands a chance.

Genya collapses on the ground of bodies, barely maintaining consciousness. Dmitrii moves in for the finishing blow.

"Don't."

Dmitrii sighs. "He is a threat to us. We must finish him."

"I will not allow it", Galamoth says. "At least, not yet. He does not wish to see his father reborn. We should complete the ritual, so that he can see that our intent is different. If he knows that his father will never again declare war on humanity, it will give him closure. Then it will be his decision whether he chooses to die or relent."

"You pity him", Celia says.

"Dracula's existence has been difficult for everyone. His family is no exception."

"Alucard may have a point", Dmitrii considers. "The dark lord is no mere human. I will be tempted to unleash demons, enslave humans, and cause destruction. I may even relish it."

Galamoth nods. "Many demons have felt the same way. I do not personally agree, but I acknowledge it. My belief is that, no matter what actions take place between demons and humans, the important thing is that they take place."

"So, the war..."

"The war sought to end humanity in general. This is the point the dark lord should never reach. As long as humans survive and thrive, and the demons do the same thing, all is well."

"But", Dmitrii says, "perhaps we do not need to create more demons at all."

"What do you mean?" Galamoth asks in an almost offended tone.

"A demon is essentially a soul that has traveled to hell, correct? What if the souls no longer go there? The souls could remain a part of the surface population without ever involving the afterlife!"

"That is bizarre, but possible", Celia says.

"How would you go about doing this?" Galamoth wonders.

"Pure simplicity. We have everything we need already. The sole requirement is to have a dark lord who is also Death."

Galamoth gapes. He has just realized what is going on. The pact has left him in a spirit form with a direct bind to Dmitrii's body. The bind is slowly being pulled in, causing his soul to be slowly absorbed by Dmitrii's body.

"Stop! I refuse to allow this!"

"So sorry, my dear demon, but I'm afraid I can make more use out of you this way."

"Your plan is foolish! Death is needed!"

"We are merely changing the need! You sought to bring souls to hell. I seek to bring them to me! I think they may agree that I'm the better destination!"

"This was not part of the pact! I will be released!"

"Foolish demon. I possess the power of dominance. It trumps all pacts. Ever since it was first created by the Crimson Stone. And I don't think you have any precedent to argue." Dmitrii pauses as he allows the last bits of Galamoth's essence to be absorbed by his body, "Thanatos's opinion never mattered when Mathias claimed the stone!"

And at that moment, Galamoth ceases to exist.

* * *

...no...

...must resist... power of dominance...

...I have the power of Death... I can overpower him...

He starts to regain partial consciousness.

...Soma Cruz is here...

...Celia is on a cross...

...calamitous demon...

He continues to resist.

He starts to black out.

...what does "calamitous" mean...

...Dmitrii's scream...

...darkness...


	11. Afterlife

**Chapter 11: Afterlife**

The castle now lays in ruins.

As the sun rises over the mountains in the distance, two men have far more pressing concerns on their minds.

"Tell me", asks the one with white hair. "Just what is the dark lord?"

The man who refers to himself as Genya carefully addresses him. "What Celia told you wasn't necessarily wrong. The dark lord is the entity opposite to god."

Soma turns to face him. "Then that means there will always be a need for a dark lord. All because I ducked out from becoming the next in line!"

"Don't misconstrue me. Perhaps there is a need for the dark lord. But there is no reason at all for you to become the dark lord."

"But if it weren't for me, none of this would have happened!"

Genya shakes his head. "You're neither a god nor a demon. You're only human. You have no chance at ever achieving perfection." He gives Soma an accusing look. "Or are you saying you want to be the dark lord?"

Soma is taken aback. "No... of course not..."

"Then stay true to that. Look." The pair, who under different circumstances could have been called father and son, turn to the distance to watch the approach of their traveling companions. "There are people waiting for you. Don't break their hearts."

Soma nods and leaves his mentor to greet the new arrivals.

Genya gazes into the sky. The souls, most of which had previously been held within the walls of the castle or by the man who wished to rule it, continue to float through the air. In the distance Soma, who appears surprised to see that his good friend Mina has come looking for him, is unaware of the souls that are leaving his own body as well. The power of dominance is dormant again. He no longer needs to possess them.

And among the souls, a single one, seemingly more organized than the others, moves about in an effort to collect them all and return them to the underworld where they belong. That would be Death, Alucard thinks.

But not Thanatos. His soul is no longer present. It vanished at the same time as Dracula's essence.

"If the world needs a dark lord, it will emerge", he mumbles to himself. "Even if it's not you, Soma..."

The reaping soul has completed his task, and he prepares to leave.

"You certainly seem to have climbed the ranks rapidly", Alucard says without turning to face him. There is no trace of humor in his voice.

If Galamoth had been in a better mood, he might have asked how the dhampir was able to detect his presence without his having a body. But given recent events, he is more inclined to get directly to the point.

"Why?" he roars angrily. "Why do you still oppose us?"

Alucard's expression does not change. Nor does he respond.

"You were right! I knew you were right the moment you told me back then! The war needed to stop! And it stopped! The humans won! Your father is gone! You got your wish!"

Alucard slowly turns to face the soul.

"No humans have died by our hands since that day! All we seek to do is rebuild! Why must you intrude and continue to destroy us?"

Alucard takes a single breath. "Don't think that I haven't noticed. You seek to revive the dark lord."

"Why should this surprise you? We lost our leader! We need a new one!"

"My father must not be allowed to return."

"We don't want him! Not after what he's become!"

Alucard raises an eyebrow. "What he's become?"

Galamoth smiles slightly. "He was better once. You should remember the way he was before your mother died. When he didn't wish for humanity to die. When he spared my life. When he brought you into th..."

Alucard shakes his head. "The man who brought me into this world arranged for his closest friend's wife to be kidnapped and killed. He then convinced his friend to seek vengeance and kill the vampire responsible, with intent to loot the vampire's remains. That way, he could become a vampire himself and seek revenge against those he felt were responsible for his wife's death. And his wife had died of illness."

Galamoth stares at him blankly for a few moments. Then he recovers. "Then we don't need him! There are other choices!"

"Such as the respectable man who backstabbed you less than an hour ago? You are fortunate that we were there to save you from your error."

"We will keep trying! There is a worthy candidate somewhere!"

"I highly doubt this."

Galamoth gestures at Alucard. "You could do it! You have the birthright! The demons would listen to you! You would be fair!"

Alucard sighs. "I should have never come to exist. I dream of the day that I will be able to sleep for eternity. But as long as I am here and I can help prevent this nonsense, I shall."

_"Nonsense?_ Hell is in ruins! The demons are aimless! If we are to recover, we need the humans!"

"Have you considered that the humans do not need the demons?"

"**How dare you?**" If living mortals could perceive Galamoth's spirit form, they would notice that he has taken on a larger and more fearsome appearance. "We have always relied on the humans! Our raw materials, our literature, a large portion of our population..."

"Stolen, I imagine."

"It is a small price for the humans to pay!" Galamoth gazes off into the distance, his anger subsiding. "It doesn't even need to be this way! Demons and humans... we can work together! Share the land! Combine our resources! Make up for each other's shortcomings! It can work! We'll make it work! All we need is a chance to try it!"

Alucard appears to be lost in thought. Then he speaks again, shaking his head.

"You desire wealth, power, and land, and you are willing to exploit the humans for it. Why should they agree?"

Galamoth pauses. "They can share our power! As long as we are there to aid them, they will have no reason to fear!"

"They will fear the demons. You know this. And if their sole refuge is evil, then it is a refuge we must refuse."

"Evil? The demons aren't..."

"They fight, steal, and destroy. They seek power for themselves at any price. No amount of civility will change this."

"We do what we have to do to survive. We won't apologize for it."

"And that is why you are demons."

Galamoth's anger reaches a boiling point again. "And what about your humans, then? Do you think they are above such things?"

Alucard shakes his head. "Some humans behave the same way. But there remain those that are kind and helpful."

"Yes! I know there are! So what about the kind and helpful demons?"

Alucard pauses briefly. "You mean the angels?"

"The _what_?"

"What you describe, we call angels."

"And just what are those supposed to be?"

"You don't kn..."

And it is at that moment that Alucard realizes that a single assumption, one that he didn't know existed until now, has driven the entire conversation. And now that he knows, the meaning of the demon's words have completely changed in his mind.

The demon doesn't know. He really doesn't. He has spent over five centuries in hell. He has never set foot on the surface, except in circumstances involving his father's castle or his new position, which he could not have had for more than a couple of years now. And before that... it was like he had never existed...

He doesn't know what an angel is. He has never seen heaven. If they have literature in hell like he says, there will not be any holy books there. He hasn't even spent any time with the kind of humans that would end up in such a place. As far as he is concerned, hell is the only afterlife that exists in the world.

Demons and humans. Two sides of the coin that was Dracula's war. And he cannot see the third side.

As evil as demons are, some are better than others. And coming from his limited viewpoint, those at the top would start to look like they fit the definition of "good". Good enough to be respected. Good enough to lead. Good enough to put your faith in them.

And this demon, if he gets his wish, will guide the other demons down a road of good intentions, and then wonder why they keep returning to the place from where they started...

Perhaps he should have never been a demon in the first place...

Then again, he is certainly not worthy of being an angel...

But if he had been given a chance, and obviously a different body, he just might have been capable of being a human...

Alucard's attention focuses again. Galamoth, still fuming, looks like he is about to abandon the argument and return to hell.

He remembers the original question. "Angels?"

"That's what you said!"

Alucard chooses his words carefully. "They are... like demons. But they are found in another land. One you have never visited. They are more... considerate of others. They do not steal or harm others. They do not need to."

Galamoth digests this. "So they're... what demons should be?"

"Some think so."

"They sound like fiction."

"Sometimes myth becomes reality. You know that."

"Have you ever met one?"

"Not yet", Alucard says. "I wish we could."

Galamoth raises his voice again. "They don't sound very good to me. If they were, then _why would they refuse to help me?_"

A brief silence.

Alucard believes he understands the question. Why have they not been there to set a good example for this demon?

Galamoth's meaning is different. If they are "good demons", why can't they assist their brethren in their time of need?

And deeper still, a more sinister meaning. If they are similar to demons, they should have also been affected by his control device back when he first arrived. Why did they not join Galamoth's army to aid the invasion effort so long ago?

As luck would have it, Alucard's response answers all three questions accurately. "Because they can't."

"What?"

"There is no "light lord". They do not have a portal. They cannot come here."

Galamoth is incredulous. "So they have to live by themselves and never interact with the humans."

"I believe so."

"What kind of life is that?"

"It's not a life. It's an afterlife. Just like hell. The difference is that one is good and one is evil."

Galamoth pauses. "Not always."

"What do you mean?"

"Not everyone in hell is dead or evil. Some of us are recruits."

Alucard blinks. "Recruits? When did this start? How many were recruited?"

"A good number of witches. Some of the animals. Myself."

Alucard stares at him. He doesn't know this, either?

"You were alive when we first met?"

"Absolutely."

"You died. And then you were sent to hell."

Galamoth sputters. "What? No! Dracula asked me directly! Thanatos was with him! They said..."

_You are not a living creature. None of us are. You most certainly possessed life before you started your war against us, but this is no longer true._

"...they killed me." He stares at the ground with a hopeless look in his eyes. All thoughts of abandoning his post and returning to his planet have been dashed.

Alucard shakes his head slowly. "In truth... I did."

There is complete silence for a while.

Galamoth sighs. "You must think I am nothing more than a fool."

Alucard thinks about the statement briefly. What constitutes a fool? This demon is certainly not stupid. If he has an intelligence flaw, it is that he was never exposed to all the facts. Otherwise, he is educated, he is practical, he seems to have everyone's best interests in mind...

...and, in his current dejected state, he is fit to be molded. If I handle this properly, Alucard thinks, our problems could be solved for the moment. "I wouldn't say that."

"Don't patronize me."

Using a levitation ability that he has not practiced in many years, Alucard floats directly in front of Galamoth's eyes. "_Patronize you_? Pay attention! My father actually put his trust in you! Death allowed you to inherit his duty! And despite all logic to the contrary, I have been standing outside a castle's ruins, long after all my allies have left, holding a civil conversation with a demon who has tried to kill me on no fewer than two occasions! If anything, I would conclude that everyone believes you could amount to something!"

He returns to the ground again. "And I know this, despite the fact that I do not know your name or from where you originated."

Galamoth watches him land, and then kneels down to get a better view of the half-vampire. "If you must know, my name is Ga..."

"I will call you Death."

Galamoth promptly stands up again defiantly. "I am not..."

"You are. Because you are unable to be anyone else at the moment. You did not know if you were alive or dead. You cannot decide if you want to be a demon or angel. You cannot tell if I am your ally or your enemy. And when you return to hell, you do not know if you intend to aid the other demons or abandon them.

"Yet, no matter what else happens, I know that you are returning to hell. And I know this because you have collected a number of souls, and they need to go there, and at no point in this discussion have you failed to guard them closely. There is no mistaking it. You must be Death."

"I am only replacing him. I am not him. Death should not be a demon who doesn't even understand how the afterlife works."

Alucard looks up at him again. "Did you know that I have never visited hell?"

"That seems odd for you."

"Not at all. I have never died. But despite my handicap, I know what I would expect Death to do. He would reap souls and deliver them to hell. You already do that.

"I'm not as certain that he would wage war. I've read a few books, and War is a different horseman from Death. He also wouldn't wander the world in a mortal body, although I have heard about some exceptions. Would he use a scythe in battle against a living person? The scythe is designed to cut and reap, so I would expect it to go unused until the end of one's life. And certainly, I would not expect him to take orders from a mortal. If Death did that, some humans could become immortal, and that seems to defeat the purpose."

Galamoth glares at him. "Do not speak ill of Thanatos."

"He stole from me once. He took my material possessions. What would Death want with those? The humans have a saying, that you can't take it with you when you die. I find that behavior very confusing. And yet I am even more confused by the question of why Death, knowing that, would ever think of pledging his allegiance to a material object, such as a stone."

Alucard doesn't give Galamoth enough time to respond to these arguments. He has too much momentum now.

"I asked you a question. Answer it now. Did you know that I have never visited hell?"

Galamoth blinks in confusion. "No, I did not."

"Are you certain?"

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"I would assume that Death must be aware of what souls exist in his domain."

Galamoth hesitates. "I am. But it only proves that I have been granted the ability to be Death. It does not mean that I am qualified."

"What other qualification is there?"

"Proper leadership ability. A plan for the future. Whatever skills are necessary to designate and serve a dark lord."

Alucard's face becomes more serious than usual. "Death was wrong to put his trust in Dracula. You know this. But you have yet to learn that Death would be wrong to put his trust in anyone.

"As far as I am concerned, Death should be the dark lord."

Galamoth's eyes widen. "That's treachery! Death has no right!"

"He oversees hell. He collects and observes the souls that go there. These are the activities of someone who is in command."

"But Dracula..."

Alucard actually looks angry now. "My father was the one who claimed that the dark lord has additional duties. He claimed that demons had a right to interact with humans. He claimed that hell needed leaders. And by doing so, he managed to gloss over the fact that Death was his slave."

He was, Galamoth remembers. That's why he had to be stopped. And also why he allowed it to happen.

"This is what you think I should do?"

"I will not tell you what you should do. I told you what Death should do. You may fill in the rest as you desire. But know that the humans have their own goals. If your actions infringe on them, I will once again be forced to oppose you."

With this said, he turns to leave. Before he can, Galamoth interrupts.

"Without humans... how can we possibly thrive?"

Alucard turns again. "Remember the angels. They do not interfere with humans and they are limited to their own devices, yet they are happy."

Galamoth looks depressed. "The demons won't agree. They have grown accustomed, like I have. They aren't willing to make the sacrifices. They will be miserable, and they may fight back."

"Then it is fortunate for you that demons don't die."

Galamoth winces visibly at this. "So that is your demand. You want me to tell the demons to give up. That there will be no portal. They will have to spend the rest of eternity as they are now. Hell will become stagnant."

"It will not be stagnant as long as it has souls, and the means to obtain them."

"This is all part of your plan, is it? Forcing the demons to suffer so that the humans can thrive?"

Alucard glares at him. "I thought you were smarter than that. Have you actually watched the fighting between the demons and the humans? Did you see how violent it was?"

"I will not dispute this. The war was fruitless. Many died for no good reason."

"Many humans died for no good reason. For the same reason, many demons were merely defeated and forced back to their home."

Galamoth cannot think of a response to this.

"Without food, humans starve. Without air, they suffocate. If someone harms their body, they must heal. Demons can endure great suffering. Humans cannot."

_It is true that some demons retain an interest in such activities. However, these are merely luxuries. You will find that you have very few actual needs and that your desires are frequently unfulfilled. You must endure nonetheless._

And Galamoth realizes that he has spent over five centuries in hell and has almost never left the premises. He has been happy and miserable and angry and calm and proud and modest and well-liked and disliked and he has frequently stood up for what he believes in, despite the consequences. And he still exists. And it is becoming apparent that he will continue to exist no matter what he does...

Galamoth sighs. "This doesn't sound like the plan of a leader."

Alucard nods. "Hell needs no leader. An overseer will suffice. Someone to make sure that the underworld functions."

And, with an uncharacteristic amount of friendliness in his voice, he adds, "The way you speak about the demons, it sounds as though you have been overseeing hell for centuries. Why should you stop now?"

This is definitely part of Alucard's plan, Galamoth thinks. He doesn't want there to be a dark lord, and he is trying to trick me into agreeing with him. But at the same time, I cannot fault his logic, and I have never known him to lie.

...he lied about who he was when we first met. But I have done it far more often...

"What if I fail?"

His own thoughts answer his question before Alucard can. Hell has nothing left to lose.

Except Death. And if he is lost, even the humans will suffer.

Alucard turns away again and heads into the distance. "You will succeed eventually. I know you will. You have an eternity to do so."

If Galamoth had been paying attention to the earlier conversation, he might have noticed that Alucard addressed Soma with the same tone of voice.

* * *

A stack of pages rest upon the floor of the room that once belonged to Thanatos. In those pages are the written words of Galamoth, explaining who he was, how he came to be here, and the events that led him to this point.

With a single fireball from his hand, they are instantly incinerated.

It no longer matters. None of it does. Galamoth died centuries ago. The demon who thought he was Galamoth has done nothing but aid the demons in ways that they do not need or deserve. The demon who wanted to replace Thanatos now knows that Thanatos is not, under any circumstances, worth replacing. All that is left is a demon and his duty to collect souls. And he knows that he cannot abandon this duty under any circumstances.

Alucard made it clear enough. The demons are not wanted by the humans. The only way for the populations to avoid war is to remain apart. There must be no dark lord. The demons must remain in hell, where they belong. That is why hell exists; to contain those who have been deemed demons.

The other aspects are counterproductive. Dracula's influence should be removed from the underworld. The hierarchy must be disbanded. The forges must be closed, and their goods destroyed. The library... it will be set ablaze. Such a waste.

All that will be left is hell, and the souls in it. Souls that, by the world's standards, don't deserve to be treated well. He merely has to collect them and bring them here. And he should do a very good job of it, for it is the sole remaining purpose of his existence.

It doesn't matter who he was. All that matters is what he is now. Even Rebecca had told him that.

...Rebecca?

Galamoth has the mental image of a young "female" witch, her blue hair covering her eyes, sitting alone on the stark stone ground in an empty room. Whenever she looks up, all she can see is the icy-cold blood of at least a dozen innocent villagers on her hands. And so she sits, and waits, and suffers, for eternity.

Suddenly, above her stands a tall reptilian demon, gazing down upon her. And she looks up and tells him that she didn't mean to kill them, and that she wishes she hadn't, and she returns to her sulking.

And the demon looks at her, and tells her that it is too late for her, and she must pay the price for her actions. And he begins to walk away, not even taking the time to notice if his footfalls are far enough away from her...

"**Absolutely not!**"

Galamoth can perceive the souls that populate the rooms around him coming to a sudden halt.

He immediately starts hating himself for even considering these actions.

He did not come by this position by being the most powerful demon in the underworld, even if he considers himself one of the most likely candidates for that honor. Thanatos chose him because he had the interest of the demons in mind. He had been entrusted with their well-being. No matter how improperly Thanatos had handled his position, that should not change.

Dracula believed that all humans deserved to die. Judging by human history, there were plenty of actions that would have warranted such a punishment for at least a large portion of them. But things would have turned out very differently if his son had simply agreed with him.

Why should he treat the demons as if they are nothing but cruel, selfish beasts who should be kept away from humans at all costs?

Just because they are?

It would be no different than if he had been judged as a threat to the planet and subsequently eliminated simply because he had tried to conquer it.

Adrian knows what the demons are. But he doesn't know the demons. He has never visited hell. He learned what he knows through his father's actions, and Dracula showed everyone what demons should not be.

The course is obvious, he thinks. Reap the souls and bring them here. And then watch over them. Let them live as they wish. Support them. Help them if necessary. Give them a reason to believe that they could be something more than what they were when they died. Who knows? Some of them may actually believe it.

Hell is a far more livable place when the demons have no reason to believe that they are prisoners. Even if they can't leave.

His faith may be misplaced. But what if it is? What could he or the other demons lose? It's not as though they can die.

* * *

The demon he has summoned to his room is slightly taller than a human, with large grey wings branching from its back. A glowing halo hovers above its head.

It had been practicing its archery when he arrived. For its sake, he had specifically waited until after it made its shot to make his presence known.

Galamoth stares at the archer with impassive eyes. "Tell me about yourself."

The archer starts talking. "I am often called the Amalaric sniper. I..."

Galamoth interrupts him. "I have heard about it. The young king of the Visigoths was shot by an arrow and killed as he retreated from the armies of Childebert. You are the one who took the shot?"

The archer nods.

Galamoth looks at him more carefully. "Why?"

"He used religious reasons as an excuse to be cruel to his wife. As she was the victim and a Catholic, we took pity on her. When I saw him about to escape his rightful punishment, I... took matters into my own hands."

"We, you said. You were an angel?"

The archer nods again. "I'm confused. I thought my appearance made it obvious."

Galamoth does not react. "I admit to being less than informed about the nature of heaven. What would you say it was like?"

"It was... plain to look at. It's a lot like here, except a lot brighter. Cooler and less dry, too. And there aren't any walls."

"And what are the angels like? Do they all look like you?"

"Some of them, I suppose. Most opt for the wings. It makes it easier to move around. The former humans look like they usually do. Then you've got the ones with the multiple arms and such, and the creatures. They... it's hard to describe. Think of the guys around here and imagine them brighter, I guess."

"I see. Who handles the souls up there? I know I have nothing to do with it."

"I don't know. I came into existence there, so I never saw. If I had to guess, I'd say it was Seraphiel."

At this point, Galamoth thinks, I don't need to know. "Then who is responsible for the fact that you currently reside here?"

"All of them, I guess. It was too quick. The angels were angry. Some of the seraphim showed up. They told me what I did was inexcusable, and I no longer belonged there. And then I was here."

"You were sent here directly? Angel to demon, like that?"

"Yeah. They call us 'fallen angels'. It's unfair! They claim to be just and all, and then they won't let us deliver any justice! If you ask me, I could..."

Galamoth doesn't pay attention to the rant. He is too busy thinking about Rebecca again. She couldn't have died. Demons don't die. And yet he cannot find her...

The evidence is there. It is compelling. Even better, if his theory is correct, it will prove that his approach to his position is sound.

"If I may ask", he says, interrupting the fallen angel between sentences, "have you ever heard of a risen demon?"

* * *

There exists a room without doors or windows, or any other openings that lead to the rest of the world.

It was the room of a demon known as Thanatos. Everyone called him Death, even after he had abandoned the position.

The demon who currently fills his position no longer uses the room. It is empty, save for a pair of books that had been left carelessly on the floor, and the ashes that are all that remains of a third book that could have joined them.

Instead, this demon uses a room that had been built for him and the other demon that he once called his possession. It is not nearly as impressive, but it has two significant advantages.

First, its ceiling is higher than the ceilings of the other rooms. He likes this, not only because he likes to stand tall, but also because it reminds him of a time when the demons listened to his requests.

And second, it has a hallway that leads to the rest of hell, and it is open to the demons who exist there. This way, he can listen to their requests as well.

**The End**


End file.
